Almost Human
by BenignUser
Summary: A lone digimon known as Natsu feels herself drawn towards Daisuke. Daisuke sets out to find her missing human partner, but isn't prepared for the other mysteries that surround this very human-like digimon.
1. First Emotions

Date Started: September 4th, 2009  
Date Finished: September 7th, 2009  
Date Revised: May 16, 2011

* * *

Summary: _A lone digimon known as Natsu feels herself drawn towards Daisuke. Daisuke sets out to find her missing human partner, but isn't prepared for the other mysteries that surround this very human-like digimon._

* * *

Almost Human

Chapter 1 – First Emotions

The first thing she noticed was that she had awakened in an unrecognisable world. Before her eyes were hundreds of unfamiliar faces walking the dimly lit streets; night had fallen upon this busy city. It was a startling sight. The blackness of the night sky was framed by illuminated street lamps and escaping lights from surrounding buildings. This was not the world she had expected to see. The vivid imagery that remained from her past life appeared as nothing more than a dull emptiness covered by a distorted haze. This world that specifically existed within her memories was a stark grey filled with a thick air and a voiceless sob that echoed near endlessly throughout the fallen ruins of a permanently deserted city. Despite being lit, the tall structures that emphasized the skyline were clearly not the ones she remembered. Even the cold, as familiar as it was, was not to the same degree she remembered it to be.

Her head cocked down one busy street, nearly colliding with a man talking into his phone. The man gave her an irritated look before moving on and returning his attention back to his conversation. With the man gone, she returned to her thoughts. Almost instantly, she felt his familiar presence nearby. She had called to him before, and now she felt him calling to her instead. She could no longer be bothered by this startling new world.

Slowly, calmly, the digimon known as Natsu began her trek towards her new destination, towards Motomiya Daisuke, and towards familiarity. As long as he was here, the old world would remain unimportant.

* * *

It was an early Spring in Japan this year, and the student populous was currently experiencing their vacation period before returning to full time studies the coming April. Daisuke, however, had graduated from high school a few mere weeks ago, and following that had fondly moved out of his parent's apartment. He had a part-time job at a local ramen shop, and as such had no intention of returning to study following the month's end. While it was customary for parents to only pay board for students studying away from home, Daisuke's family had still agreed to help pay for his expenses until his goal of running his own business finally took off.

He didn't consider being away from his family to be the same as living alone, though; not at all. After all, V-mon was with him. Their small single bedroom locale would only be a temporary fix until he could begin selling his own ramen noodles.

But Daisuke wasn't thinking about any of this now. While it happened to be the middle of March, it also happened to be the middle of the night as well. Both Chosen and Digimon lay in their futons, resting away the hardships of the previous day.

At least until a harsh knock woke them both from their slumber.

Daisuke let out a low groan as he turned to his side. He stared towards his alarm clock as his eyelids gradually opened. It was several hours past midnight and given another hour or two the sun would have risen. He shook his head to rid himself of this deprived state of sleep. He nudged V-mon's side as he got to his feet and sluggishly moved towards the door. He must have taken too long, because another round of knocking followed. The sound echoed along with his footsteps.

He opened the door and yawned loudly into the opening. He fully intended on showing off his irritation at the idea of entertaining guests at this hour.

"Motomiya Daisuke," the girl at the door spoke no sooner than she had appeared.

His brows ruffled in confusion at the newcomer. The girl in front of him was meek and slender, shorter than him by a full head. A woolen coat covered her features; it was loose, unbuttoned, and about one size too small. He could see the tawny shirt she wore underneath. She stared upwards at him, expectant of his reaction yet emotionless all the same, her brown eyes a mere shade or two lighter than the color of her hair. He took advantage of the silence and brought up an arm to rub the soreness from his eyes. He breathed in a few times, and then blinked a couple more as everything in his mind seemed to click into place. He didn't dare speak; not to say that he didn't try a few times, but with any moment that his mouth would try to open his voice would immediately cease.

"Nat-chan?" V-mon arrived and spoke for him.

The disbelief in Daisuke's eyes was all too evident. He looked her up and down, still trying to blink away the sleep that plagued him as he did so. His throat still refused to release any words. The summer of six years ago when he first met this girl was by now a distant memory, and he strained to recall all the details. He finally spoke, "Natsu… how did you get here?"

She shrugged helplessly and casually let herself inside. The woolen coat dropped to the floor behind her as she continued to walk right past the bewildered Chosen and his partner digimon. "I came to find you, Daisuke."

"Natsu," Daisuke said her full given name aloud again. He found himself unable to call her by the affectionate name _Nat-chan_ at this time. He now clearly remembered that past summer. He was able to recall that strange other world she had pulled him into. And of course he remembered the eventual realization that she was in fact a digimon despite her very human appearance. "You look different."

His comment proved true. She had once been a young girl, looking no older than the twelve years old that he had been at the time of their first meeting. Now she looked to have aged by several years. He remembered her appearance clearly, for her tragic death was now gravely etched into his mind.

"Do I?" she commented offhandedly, "I don't feel any different."

Daisuke eyed her carefully. He remembered the bright smile she carried when he had first laid eyes on her all those years ago. At the time it seemed as if it had been engraved on her face. That smile was nowhere to be found. "Do you remember what happened the last time we met?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I remember you."

V-mon's brow ridges shot up in surprise. "What about me? Or Mimi? Or Wallace?"

She stared down at him for a full moment in silence, facing him in contemplation. She shook her head in response.

Daisuke frowned, rubbing at the back of his neck. He moved away from both Natsu and V-mon and continued to his desktop computer. He turned it on and spoke to the pair behind him as it booted. "The others are all probably asleep, but Mimi should still be awake. We should go see her in New York and see if Natsu can remember anything there."

"Koushiro will get mad at us for using the Digital World as a means of international travel," V-mon said, a deep frown of disapproval showing. While Koushiro wasn't the only one who disapproved of abusing the Digital Gate, he was definitely the one most vocal about it. The other elder Chosen merely expressed caution and concern with using the Gate as a means of illegal travel, especially now that, aside from Iori, the Chosen were no longer considered minors.

"He'll get over it," Daisuke continued speaking as he worked on the computer. "Besides, this is obviously urgent." The system finished booting and the Digital Gate appeared on the screen. Daisuke spoke again, "Natsu, you just follow along with what V-mon and I do. We're going to enter the Digital World and then use it to get to New York."

Natsu nodded, and obediently watched as Daisuke raised his digivice to the computer monitor and vanished with a flash of light. V-mon moved towards the monitor next, and almost instantly following his partner into the Digital World. Natsu then followed suit for her own turn and took a few steps forward.

It was then that nothing happened.

She pressed forward, leaning towards the computer screen.

Nothing continued to happen.

She raised a hand and tapped against the glass.

The Digital World refused her entrance yet again.

The monitor finally flashed to life, bringing Daisuke and V-mon back beside her. Daisuke positioned himself at the computer desk, looking over at the Digital Gate. He frowned in confusion. "It's still open, so you should be able to get in. Give it another shot."

Natsu did, and once again the Digital World refused to let her pass.

"What a bother," V-mon complained.

"We can talk to Koushiro about this after," Daisuke sighed. He tried not to think about the possibilities that this could mean. "For now I'll give Mimi a call and have her come here."

He dug out his cell phone, and after a brief consideration on the cost of long distance calls, he opted to send a text message instead. Within a few short minutes the Digital Gate flashed to life and Mimi appeared in his living room. She gasped aloud at the sight she saw, and grinned brightly towards Natsu.

Mimi squealed. She pulled the other girl into a tight hug. "Nat-chan, I'm so happy to see you again!"

Natsu could only blink in confusion, at both the physical display and at the radiance the other girl carried. "Do I know you?"

Mimi broke the embrace, looked at the girl in front of her quizzically, and then finally turned to Daisuke for answers.

He frowned in response. "She doesn't seem to remember much."

Looking back at Natsu, Mimi smiled and tried again. "I can't stay for very long. We're having a family dinner in a few minutes. Tell me, Nat-chan, have you found your partner yet?"

"_Partner_?" Natsu voiced the word as if it carried a foreign meaning.

"We all thought her partner would be in New York." Daisuke mused. "I don't understand why she ended up here."

"I came here because you are here," Natsu said.

"How long have you been searching for me, Natsu?" Daisuke asked. "When did your digitama hatch?"

She answered. "It hatched today."

Daisuke stumbled back in surprise. V-mon rushed towards him. "Daisuke, what should we do?"

"I think that part is pretty obvious," Mimi said. At the blank stares she received from the duo, she elaborated further. She nudged her hands towards Natsu's direction, "You two have to find her partner."

* * *

_I believe that much emphasis has been put on my past life; certainly much more than necessary. The only constant I'm aware of between my past life and my current one is Motomiya Daisuke. Is that truly not enough?_

_The female Mimi appears to have known me. I am unsure why this fact is of consequence; I am also unsure why it unsettles me. There was a noticeable change in her features once she had realized she was little more to me than a stranger._

_The meaning behind the expression in her eyes continues to elude me. I wish to know why that is so._

* * *

Natsu was left in the company of V-mon and Tentomon while Daisuke spoke with another human in a private room. They were guests visiting the residence of Daisuke's friend Izumi Koushiro. V-mon had taken the time to introduce her to Tentomon, and Tentomon had taken the time to give her a tour of the apartment.

There wasn't much to see, Natsu realized. It was a small living space, almost as small as Daisuke's, only slightly more organized. The living room and bedroom were uninteresting attractions, for Daisuke had them as well. What did interest her was the study, or rather, as Tentomon had referred to it, Koushiro's computer lab.

"Are you eager to find your partner, Nat-chan?" Tentomon broke into her thoughts.

"What is… a partner?" she asked at last.

V-mon answered. "A partner is the most wonderful thing in the world! They're a friend for life; they're always with you and would never leave you."

Natsu considered a moment. "Will I find someone like Daisuke?"

V-mon nodded. "Of course! This world is full of great humans!" he turned to the other digimon, "Isn't that right, Tentomon?"

She inched herself away from the pair, feeling uninterested in carrying further conversations with the other two digimon. She could hear the voices from the other room now, and they proved to be by far more attractive. She inched closer to listen in; they were speaking of the Digital Gate and the consequences of the female Mimi's arrival. It appeared that given the circumstances of Natsu's arrival, the action was deemed acceptable. After a few more exchanges it appeared that the two were in agreement that the female Mimi would be allowed to continue making visits. Natsu didn't quite know what to make of that, yet she certainly didn't seem bothered by the idea of seeing the other girl again.

"And you're certain she's a digimon?" the voice of the redhead broke through her thoughts, "And that it's the same one from that summer?"

"I practically saw her die in my arms," Daisuke's voice broke in. She could feel the quiver in his tone. "It's definitely her. She even responds to the same name."

"It certainly is strange that she wasn't able to enter the Digital World."

"So what do you think that means?" Daisuke asked.

There was a brief silence before Koushiro provided an answer. "It's very possible that while she may be made of data, that she isn't a digimon at all."

"So what is she?" Daisuke sounded tired.

"She might be code that developed along the same lines as Gennai," Koushiro said. "She might even be something so terrifying that the Digital World is doing whatever it can to make sure she stays out of it."

The sounds of Daisuke trying to laugh off the suggestion rang in her ears. "Now that's just silly."

"Daisuke-san," Koushiro spoke sternly, "You need to keep a close eye on her at all costs until we can get a proper analysis. Right now, we do not know what she is."

She entered the room right then, revealing herself to the humans, and ignoring the calls to her from the two digimon behind her. Both Daisuke and Koushiro turned to face the intrusion; the latter flustered due to his recent words. She walked carefully and serenely towards Koushiro. Daisuke moved to step in between them, but before he had managed to even take a step, she came to a stop and began to speak.

"_San_," she wondered aloud. "Why did you call him so? What is Daisuke-_san_?" she placed extra emphasis on the last sound.

Koushiro blinked with wide eyes, and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. If Natsu was going to let herself be distracted from the topic of the Digital World by such a simple question, Koushiro surely wasn't going to be one to complain. He let out a dry cough as he formed his answer, "It – uh – it's a sign of respect to add _san_ to a name."

"_San_ is… respect for Daisuke?" she asked again.

Koushiro and Daisuke exchanged glances. Daisuke shrugged; Koushiro turned back to face her. He confirmed, "Yes. I respect Daisuke-san."

She nodded. "I, too, respect Daisuke-san."

* * *

Daisuke was at a loss. He didn't quite know what to do with his new houseguest. She had miraculously appeared at his doorstep a few days ago, and had remained at his apartment ever since. He had a small TV with only a few basic channels, and she and V-mon would spend their days watching reruns of old romance dramas. All this was done while he was either contacting the other Chosen for help and advice, or working at his part-time job at the ramen shop. He was thankful that Mimi had offered to take care of Natsu's clothing and other more delicate needs.

Today she approached him as he returned home to the apartment. She stood, looking down at him from where he sat to take off his shoes. She spoke, "Daisuke-san, I wish to understand why we have made little progress towards finding me a suitable partner."

He blinked, looking up at her. The confusion on his face was most evident. Natsu didn't appear to be angry, or troubled, and she hadn't even let any hint out that she was eager to find a partner. A few days ago she hadn't even known what a partner was.

"I… I'm sorry?" he blabbered out. He couldn't understand what had brought this on.

"I did not request an apology." Natsu said.

Daisuke frowned. He stood up to full length and looked over the girl in front of him. Despite her attempts to remain calm and composed, he could tell there was a disappointment in her eyes. He nodded, "We'll find you a partner soon, I promise."

She nodded, and prepared to return back to her place beside V-mon in front of the television. Daisuke, however, wasn't quite done yet. He realized there had been a great error on his part these past few days. He had left Natsu alone and holed up in his apartment without a second thought. She and V-mon probably hadn't had a proper meal since her arrival. He recalled bringing home leftovers from the shop several times and little else beyond that.

It was time to slowly solve these problems. He smiled knowingly at his new determination. He stepped forward and grasped her arm within his to prevent her from fully turning around. He pointed to his dining table. "Have a seat right over there."

Natsu followed his gaze and moved to sit as requested, and Daisuke, still grinning, called towards his partner. "Enough lying around, V-mon; to the kitchen!"

The pair disappeared behind the walls, leaving Natsu waiting for their return. She patiently waited and over the sounds of boiling water, she could hear Daisuke's orders and V-mon's compliance.

"Flour," Daisuke would request, and V-mon would comply.

"Egg," Daisuke would request, and V-mon would comply yet again.

It occurred a few more times. _Water; green pepper; onion; salt; celery; more flour!_ The better part of Natsu recognized this as cooking. Then curiosity got the better of her, and she stood from her seated position and began closing in towards the kitchen entrance.

She peeked inside, and saw Daisuke standing over the countertop. He expertly sliced the vegetables with a large cutting knife. He tossed them into a boiling pot, and then returned to slice the now-flat pile of dough as well.

"Hey now, no peeking," Daisuke grinned as he caught sight of her reflection against the blade of his knife. She immediately jumped backwards and returned to the table. She waited there, not so patiently this time, over the sounds of the kitchen activities.

Daisuke appeared from behind the curtain soon after. He carried with him a tray containing his newly prepared dish. Natsu watched with anticipation as he placed it down in front of her. V-mon took a seat next to her, holding a similar bowl with the same dish for himself.

"Give it a taste," Daisuke said, "And let me know what you think." His grin returned in full bloom. He announced spectacularly, "That's the Super Motomiya Ramen Soup Special. One day it'll be known as the best meal in all of Japan!"

"What's so special about it?" Natsu wondered.

Daisuke raised a hand to cover his heart. "Nat-chan, I'm hurt. It's special in that I made it just for you. I wanted to cheer you up."

She casually took hold of the offered chop sticks, and gave the presented food a try. She felt her lips tingle at the sensation as she fully embraced the wonderful new taste.

Daisuke's brows rose eagerly in anticipation. "Well? How is it?" he asked.

Natsu smiled at him in return. "It is adequate."

* * *

_I did not wish for Daisuke-san to help me find a partner. I am still uncertain as to why I had even requested it. All I knew was that I wished for Daisuke-san to spend more time with me; I suppose that could very likely be the reason for the act that I had put on. If we were to proceed with searching for my partner, we would have to be doing it together._

_It was to my satisfaction that he agreed to my proposal. The nourishment he provided as a token of apology was also well documented as it certainly had a rather curious affect on me._

_My cheeks had begun to ache. It was not an unwelcome feeling, but it was not something I had expected to occur. My lips felt as though they were thinning, and my cheekbones were rising to a level almost high enough to cover my eyes._

_V-mon said I was smiling._

_So this is what it feels like to experience happiness. I think I rather enjoy this sensation._

* * *

The search for Natsu's partner could not be done from behind closed doors. If they were to find her partner here in Japan, they would have to look past the boundaries of Daisuke's small and simple apartment. Crowded areas would probably be their best bet, and so on his day off Daisuke decided to take Natsu out into the city. It was time for her to explore the world beyond his four walls. V-mon sat like a child on his shoulders, and together the pair led Natsu throughout the busy downtown districts.

Natsu's smile remained in full as she gazed about her surroundings. She remembered little about her past life, but one of the few things she did recall were the images of an empty and distorted city covered in snowfall. It wasn't exceptionally warm here in Japan by any means, but it was without a doubt quite a few degrees above the world she remembered.

She grew fond of this new imagery: empty streets that were no longer empty, distorted buildings that proportionally shot straight up, snow that was either sparsely located or that had already begun to melt.

They were reaching a park now, and Natsu came to a stop as her eyes came to see a completely new image. There were tall trees of green, surrounded by vast fields of grass; children ran about playing and laughing. She vaguely remembered her own playful laughter with Daisuke in that other world, but the memory faded from her mind as soon as she had thought of it.

Daisuke and V-mon had continued moving. They were quite a few steps ahead, and hadn't yet noticed Natsu's pause in movement. She didn't think to rejoin them as she was met with an entirely new image all over again. She felt ensnared by the sight before her, and proceeded to take a few steps closer for a better view.

A man and a woman stood together at the outer edge of the greenery. The embrace they shared reminded Natsu of the one the female Mimi had once offered. The man had his arms around the woman, holding her close. She, in turn, rested her head and one of her palms against the flat of his chest. His arm briefly fell to her side, and then rose upwards as he cupped her chin with the free hand. She closed her eyes and welcomed him as he lowered his lips to hers.

Natsu stared at the couple as they shared their romantic moment. While she and V-mon had seen such acts on the television dramas, the full meaning behind such an expression still left her quite confused. Her smile had long left her; feeling uneasy, she turned away from the couple.

"Nat-chan!" Daisuke's voice carried over the crowd.

She hurried towards the sound of his voice. She clenched her eyes and ran, following Daisuke's words and at the same time trying to remove the couple from her mind. Her legs endured, yet still would not carry her towards Daisuke as fast as she pleaded them to. At last she came to a stop. She opened her eyes and raised them to where she knew Daisuke waited.

She saw Daisuke there, standing tall and confident. He had an arm slung over the shoulders of a companion female, holding her close. V-mon no longer sat on his shoulders. He was down by his partner's feet, talking with a fellow digimon. Daisuke smiled broadly at Natsu, and when he spoke the enthusiasm in his voice rang loudly in her ears.

"Nat-chan," Daisuke began, "I'd like you to meet Yagami Hikari."

Natsu met his gaze with a stoic expression. She found herself unable to coherently reply. Her lips briefly parted, yet no words were released.

Daisuke seemed to frown, almost disappointed in the reaction he was getting. He began to speak, "Nat-chan, Hikari is…"

He was cut off by a loud scream. An explosion followed immediately after it. Daisuke's face intensified as he scanned the now panicking crowd. The female, Hikari, looked down towards the two digimon at their feet. She beckoned, "Tailmon?"

The white feline nodded, and positioned into a battle stance. "It's without a doubt a rogue digimon. We'll need to send it back to the Digital World."

There was a loud roar from behind the group. Natsu turned towards the source as the creature in question emerged from the surrounding trees. V-mon immediately sprung forth, "It's just a Tyrannomon; we can take 'em."

Daisuke grunted. "I don't have a laptop with me."

Hikari frowned. "I'll find one we can use. Tailmon, you stay here and help Daisuke and V-mon."

"You can count on me, Hikari." Tailmon said. She turned to V-mon, "Let's keep that thing tamed until Hikari comes back."

Natsu stared, feeling left out, as the two digimon ran forth into battle. Daisuke raised his digivice towards his partner, and V-mon was engulfed in a brilliant white. When he emerged from the light, he had increased in both size and mass. And with the pair of wings at his back he took off into the sky.

Daisuke ran ahead to join the frenzy. "Let's go XV-mon!"

XV-mon circled in the air around the red dinosaur digimon, while Tailmon kept him busy on the low ground. They would both attack at times when the Tyrannomon was occupied with the other. The cries of _Neko Punch_ and _X Laser_ could be heard echoing down along the streets.

At last Natsu could see the female Hikari returning with a portable computer in her hands. She could see the relief on both Daisuke and the female Hikari's faces as XV-mon flew downwards and lifted the Tyrannomon off the ground. He carried the protesting digimon towards the laptop, and tossed him towards it.

For a brief moment Natsu could feel the joy rising up in her again at the thought of the large digimon falling on top of the female Hikari and flattening her against the ground. This feeling was quickly shot down at the sight of the large beast disappearing into the computer monitor. It was reminiscent of seeing Daisuke and V-mon fading into the Digital World.

Once the Tyrannomon had vanished, Hikari clasped the laptop shut. She ran off to give the laptop back to a nearby bystander before once again returning to the scene.

Daisuke ran up to her eagerly. With a wide smile, he lifted her into the air by the waist and twirled her around before bringing her in for a hug. "We did it! We actually did it! Haven't fought off a digimon in three years now, and we've still got it!"

The female Hikari giggled in his embrace, "We sure do."

Natsu bit against her lip. The display in front of her was very much alike to that shown by the couple she had earlier witnessed. This time a different feeling had replaced her earlier uneasiness.

"Daisuke," Natsu spoke as she walked towards them, "I request a similar display of affection."

Daisuke blinked, releasing Hikari from his grasp as he turned to face her. "What do you mean, Nat-chan?"

"An embrace," Natsu told him. The emotionless expression never left her face. "Embrace me as you did the female Hikari."

XV-mon landed near Hikari and devolved. Tailmon soon joined them and the three watched as Daisuke stumbled a few steps forward. He stood in front of Natsu, fidgeting slightly as he pulled her inwards with an awkward hug.

Despite being held in Daisuke's arms, Natsu couldn't shake away the persistent feeling. The disgust in her voice was evident to her both discomfort and her displeasure at the current situation.

"Why?" she shouted in frustration. "Why am I not smiling? Why does this not make me happy?"

* * *

_As soon as I found joy and happiness, it was just as swiftly taken from me. The male and female companions I had earlier encountered were happy – I was rather curious at that, for it was apparent this was a happiness that was very much different from the one I had earlier experienced. The calm, accepting face the female carried expressed her bliss and satisfaction with the act she was participating in._

_I had seen similar performances with V-mon on the television. More often than not it usually resulted in what V-mon described as a 'happy ending.' This meant that everything the pair experienced after the end of their intimate performance would be happiness._

_As I watched the human companions, I became aware of how much I wanted this happiness for myself. This awareness resulted in imagining myself being in that woman's position._

_My reaction to such was difficult to explain. The beat in my chest chose to intensify and an internal heating began to form underneath the outline of my face. As a result my breathing became difficult and a strange moist substance began collecting over the palms of my hands._

_It frightened me, and I immediately wished to return to Daisuke._

_The female known as Hikari was an unexpected occurrence. My one want was to ask what this female was to Daisuke, but I was unable to express the question into words while she was still there. I will decide to ask V-mon about this at a later time._

_As an aside, I would like to state that Daisuke had indeed provided an answer towards my inquiry as to why I was unable to smile. I am not fond of this revelation, but I will state it here: I have apparently learned the expression of anger. It is an unpleasant feeling and Daisuke has decided to remedy the situation immediately._

_... I wish to one day find my own happy ending._

* * *

Chapter Notes:  
- Natsu is a character from the Digimon 02 Drama CD "Natsu e no Tobira."  
- While no background knowledge of the Drama CD should be necessary for this reading; if you'd like to read more on Natsu's introduction I have a prose version of the Drama written on my author profile page, titled "The Doorway to Summer."  
- The Digital Gates are indeed capable of use for international travel. One could enter the Digital World from Japan and exit into New York, as shown when the Chosen sent Palmon to New York for Christmas.


	2. Slice of Life

Date Started: September 8th, 2009  
Date Finished: September 13th, 2009  
Date Revised: May 16, 2011

* * *

Summary: _A lone digimon known as Natsu feels herself drawn towards Daisuke. Daisuke sets out to find her missing human partner, but isn't prepared for the other mysteries that surround this very human-like digimon._

* * *

Almost Human

Chapter 2 – Slice of Life

Daisuke could easily see that Natsu was unhappy. He wasn't fully clear on the cause, but his instincts were telling him he should have known exactly what it was. In order to solve this issue, Daisuke started off by doing two simple things. The first was a friendly goodbye to Hikari; the two could easily meet up again at a later time if necessary, but for now he needed to look after Natsu. The second was the unclasping of his cell phone and phoning of Hida Iori. He let the younger boy know that he and Natsu would be arriving and that he should be making preparations for his unexpected guests within the next hour.

Natsu wasn't all too certain what to expect. She didn't know this Hida Iori, nor did she know what preparations were being made for them. She merely followed along as Daisuke led her by the arm with V-mon trailing a short distance behind them.

Her breath left her at the eventual sight of the majestic household in front of them. Daisuke grinned at the sight of her expression. "That's the Hida family dojo," he explained.

They moved up the narrow path towards the main entrance. A boy, younger than Daisuke, waited for them there. He bowed to them as they arrived, "Daisuke-san, it is good to see you again. Your dress wear is currently waiting for you inside."

Natsu didn't seem to think much of it as the younger boy led them inside the old-style home. He was dressed in a casual male kimono, a dark blue top with a light grey proceeding below the waistline. They arrived to a veranda that served as the transitional space between the inside of the house and the outdoor gardens.

The greenery there was not unlike what Natsu saw within the city parks, but these gardens shimmered with a deep vibrant beauty. They looked cared for, maintained, and balanced whereas the city parks were left behind as an untouched part of nature. The gardens almost felt out of place in this deeply urban part of the city. Natsu breathed in the soft soothing aroma as they walked past the veranda.

The rooms inside were characterized by simple architectural lines and tidy room arrangements. Each room Natsu saw carried the bare minimum of furnishings; it was a complete contrast to Daisuke's apartment, which was overloaded with lamps, tables, chairs and cushions. Iori finally stopped and motioned them towards a vacant guest room. "You may change in here."

Daisuke and V-mon entered first. Iori bowed towards Natsu before she could follow, "I am Hida Iori; please forgive my lack of an earlier introduction."

She nodded, and as politely as she could, she introduced herself as well. It didn't help her cause that the formality of both the boy and the household they entered radiated with a greatly intimidating presence. She felt insignificant at not being able to introduce herself with a family name as well.

Iori turned to leave and Natsu chose then to enter the guest room. Inside Daisuke was putting on a kimono most similar to the one Iori had worn. He smiled at her as she entered. He quickly finished tying the obi and led her aside.

"This one here is for you." he told her.

He pointed to a single colored kimono that lay on a futon and just waiting for her to dress. It was of a vibrant orange color. She knelt down and pressed her palms against the soothing silk.

Daisuke spoke to her as she dressed. "We're here for a traditional tea ceremony; I'm sure Iori's brewing it right now. And it's only fitting that we dress for the part, right?"

He continued to explain how he thought of traditional tea as a pleasant relaxant. It was a good way to calm her thoughts, he said. He spoke of it as a form of meditation and the perfect way to soothe her mind.

And so after having dressed, Natsu found herself being led to the middle of the tea room. She shifted uncomfortably as she sat down and tried to adjust to the formal _seiza_ position. Sitting against the flat of her feet was proving to be of great discomfort thanks to her untrained posture. It was of no condolence that next to her Daisuke and Iori sat in similar positions with no troubles at all, and to each side of the Chosen sat their own digimon partners.

She had been introduced to Armadimon earlier, and like Tentomon before him, he had also wondered about Natsu's eventual human partner. She was reaching the point where she never wanted to find this partner that she was supposedly destined to be with.

She held the tea bowl in front of her as instructed by Iori. Daisuke was following a similar action, albeit it was slightly more refined than hers.

Iori rotated the bowl, and then slowly brought it inwards for a drink. The others mimicked his actions for her benefit. Natsu brought in the bowl to just under the bottom tips of her lips. She bowed her head downwards and took in a sip.

"Ugh!" she nearly spat out, "It's so bitter!"

Daisuke extended the bowl back to its original position after tasting his own tea. He immediately chuckled upon her reaction, "I suppose you could say it's an acquired taste."

The others shared in the soft laughter and Natsu, too, soon joined them in the festivities. After they had quieted down she drew in for another sip. It didn't seem as bitter as the first time around, and she let her mind wander as she breathed in the steam from her tea.

Natsu glanced out beyond the veranda. The daylight was settling into dusk. It would soon be time to head back to Daisuke's apartment, but Natsu found that she wasn't yet quite ready to leave.

She looked to the others. "Daisuke-san?"

"What is it, Nat-chan?" he asked.

She spoke timidly, "Would it be alright… if we were to spend the night here? I like this house."

"Of course you may," Iori answered before Daisuke could utter a single word. "It would be no trouble at all if you three remained for the night."

Daisuke shook his head in disbelief at the younger boy's words. Little else needed to be said. He merely smiled in appreciation. "Thank you, Iori."

* * *

Natsu was running. The void of darkness she trekked through stretched onwards with no end in sight. The only lights came from behind her as they were the cause of her sprint. The little lights, numbering in the hundreds, floated a ways back. No matter how far she tried to run, they were always there and she was always just within their reach.

Finally the fatigue caught up to her, and she faltered. The little lights wasted no time. The fireflies flew towards her, creating a tornado of glowing white. The flying lights encased her fallen form. They lifted her into the air, and like a horrific memory coming to life once again they began penetrating her skin and entering her very core.

She felt her body dispersing. She raised her arm, and looked towards it. The tips of her fingers began evaporating into sparse data before her very eyes. The dispersion continued down her palm and along her forearm. The rest of her body immediately followed suit.

The data floated off into the darkness, her body no longer there, until all that was left behind of her was a single soft golden glow.

Natsu awoke with a start. She yelped, loud enough for the room to hear, "Daisuke!"

The Chosen appeared at her side almost immediately, "Nat-chan, what's wrong?"

She flung herself at him the second she saw him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him down towards her. She whimpered. "I was there, and then I was gone. I was gone and nothing was there. I don't want to be taken away again."

"You're here now - nothing is going to happen to you," Daisuke tried to reassure her. He returned her hug, yet she remained trembling in his grasp. He frowned down at her, "Stay here a moment; I'll be right back."

"Don't leave me," she pleaded.

He paused a moment at her request, and then called over his shoulder, "V-mon, you awake there buddy?"

The blue digimon joined them, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What happened?" he managed to ask.

"Nat-chan had a nightmare," Daisuke answered. "Can you stay with her a bit? I'll be back soon."

V-mon nodded, too sleepy to resist even if he wanted to. He collapsed into slumber at the foot end of Natsu's futon the second Daisuke left. The lights in the hallways flashed to life briefly and shut off again as Daisuke moved past them. Natsu traced after Daisuke's movement by the shadows he left behind. She could feel him carrying something back with him as he neared.

He reentered the room and kneeled back down beside her. He rested a bowl on the empty floor space next to him. There was a thick darkness emanating from inside it. She shivered. "What is that?"

"It's okay," Daisuke began, "It's just ink. Lie back down."

She did as told. She snuggled back into the futon, lying flat on her back with her covers near past her shoulders as she glanced up at Daisuke. He met her gaze and looked back down at her. He moved a hand over to her forehead, and flung the excess strands of hair off to the side. He continued to speak. "This ink is used for calligraphy. It's a special written art, every stroke expressive and harmonized; Iori's mom practices it quite often."

He dipped two fingers into the bowl, and then moved those same fingers back to her forehead.

"Daisuke," Natsu said. "What are you doing?"

She felt his finger pressing into her skin just above her eye ridge. "I'm writing kanji." he told her. His hand once again moved to the bowl, and he dipped his fingers in again for more ink. He continued to speak to her as he returned to his writing, "My mom did this for me when I was a child."

"What's it for?" she asked.

He smiled. "The Baku is a mythical creature that's said to eat dreams. My mom used to tell me that once the Baku's name was written on your forehead, it had permission to eat your nightmares."

"That's quite the story," Natsu commented.

Daisuke's eyes flashed brightly towards her. His smile remained. He spoke softly, "It's rather comforting to think of the supernatural being there to help you, isn't it?" he continued in whispers, "The Baku will ease your sleep. Your nightmares won't trouble you tonight."

"It won't happen again?" Natsu wondered in anticipation.

"Not tonight," Daisuke reassured her as he finished writing. He watched her with care as her eyelids closed.

"You'll stay with me, too?" Natsu requested. Her words were slow and distant.

Daisuke didn't reply, instead allowing her to succumbed to her slumber. Daisuke stood from his kneeling position, and moved to pick up the sleeping V-mon. He lifted his partner with both hands and carefully creaked over to their side of the room. The little digimon stirred from his sleep. V-mon's eyes were half opened, "Daisuke, why did Nat-chan have a nightmare? Digimon were made from beautiful dreams…"

* * *

_The tea ceremony had been a rather entertaining experience. I was pleased with the feel of wearing a traditional kimono. Just being in the Hida's Dojo was a grandiose, almost nostalgic, feeling. The imagery suited me well._

_My reactions to the events that day seem to have had a similarly positive effect on Daisuke-san, as well. The following afternoon, he had decided to take me to what he called an 'Arts Museum.' It was only once we arrived that I fully understood why he had brought me there._

_The exterior of the building itself was very much like the Hida's dwelling. The indoors, however, proved to be vastly different. The furnishings alone were unlike anything I had ever seen. Daisuke-san explained that the expressions of human creativity resulted in the 'art' shown in this museum. Some humans expressed themselves through sculpting and molding, others through paintings and photographs. There were also some that expressed themselves through writing instead._

_One such written piece at the museum proved fascinating to me. The old texts spoke of the 'Tale of Genji.' The document chronicled the story of a fictional son to a human Emperor, and the many female companions in his life._

_Daisuke referred to it as 'The World's First Soap Opera.' The museum staff did not seem very amused with such a declaration._

* * *

The trips to and from the museum had led the pair through much of the city's public transportation system. Had she not seen it, Natsu would not have been able to imagine so many people all crowded into a single vehicle. She sat near the end of the bus with Daisuke; he had allowed her to take the window seat, and she eagerly stared at the passing scenery.

The bus paused at an intersection, waiting for the red light to clear. Daisuke peeked outside the window at the building Natsu was studying. He grinned while he pointed towards it, "That's my old high school. The sakura should be blooming soon."

She followed his gaze to the cherry trees he was describing. They were modest sized, spreading about a pale rosy white into the air. Natsu could see there were several flower buds emerging amongst the leaves. The Hida gardens had several of those as well, but neither Daisuke nor Iori had pointed out their significance to her at the time.

The bus continued forward. Daisuke spoke further of the sakura blossoms, "They bloom only once during the year, usually in early spring. It should happen soon; I'll take you to see them then."

He continued to tell her about the event and its cultural symbolism. She paid careful attention to him as he spoke. According to Daisuke, the sakura was an emblem of love and affection. It was considered a good omen to find love under the falling pellets of the sakura tree.

Natsu turned to look back outside the window. Her mind drifted as Daisuke continued to speak, pointing out various land marks and tourist attractions. She thought of the intimate couple from the previous day. She imagined herself again in the female's position, and this time pictured being showered by the colorful pellets of the surrounding sakura trees. And in place of the man this time was… was…

It occurred to her right then that Daisuke had stopped talking. She looked to him almost immediately, and noticed him gazing at her. It was a rather strange look he was giving her; intense almost.

His eyes narrowed in contemplation; he slowly extended his arm to behind her neck and gently stroked his fingers through her hair. She could feel the sudden heat from underneath her skin returning at full force. His arm retreated from behind her and came to rest at the palm of her hand. She offered no protest as he lifted it into the air and slowly uncurled her fingers.

"Nat-chan," he breathed out, at last breaking the silence. "I think we should make a side stop here."

They quickly got off at the next stop. It was only the two of them returning from the museum. V-mon had opted to remain at Daisuke's apartment, citing little interest in viewing the various arts. He was no doubt waiting for them to arrive home, and Natsu began to wonder why Daisuke was planning on taking her elsewhere instead of heading home to reunite with his digimon partner.

Daisuke held her by the arm, near-dragging her along with him down one block and around the other as they trekked through the busy streets. He held her hand with a tight grip, refusing to let it ease and refusing to slow down his rapid walk. Natsu tried to keep up, but soon her patience had declined and she shouted for him to stop.

"You are hurting me," she told him flatly.

Daisuke paused a moment, and immediately released his hold. The surprise on his face was clear. "We're almost there; it's just around the corner here."

He took a few steps forward, at a slower pace, and Natsu followed along. He came to a momentary halt and spoke again. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to hurt you."

He continued onwards uncomfortably with Natsu right behind him. He led her into a side office at the corner of the building. The office building was a rundown structure; the exterior white walls were pealing off and losing color. Various parts had been vandalized with cruel markings. Inside, the room they had entered wasn't large by any means. There was a single office desk with several computers and an attendant on one end, while several chairs lined up the other serving as the designated waiting area.

Daisuke immediately moved towards the counter. He gave a short bow to the staff there as Natsu arrived to join him, "We'd like to see Kido-sensei, please. It's rather urgent."

"I'll let him know there are patients here to see him." the woman at the desk replied. "Please provide me with identification and your health insurance card."

Daisuke stuttered at that. "We – I – uh – we aren't patients. We're just friends."

The woman raised a brow. "Regardless, we are still a medical facility and you are visiting one of our doctors." she motioned to the waiting area, "And there are also other patients waiting."

A voice interrupted, "Daisuke?"

Daisuke and Natsu both turned to the sound, and Daisuke breathed out a sigh of relief at the sight of his fellow Chosen, "Jyou, I didn't mean to bother you here… but, can we talk?"

Jyou looked from Daisuke to Natsu, and then to the female secretary before finally landing his eyes on Daisuke once again. He nodded. "Sure, come on in. We'll talk in the next room."

He stepped aside for Daisuke and Natsu to walk past him, and then gave the secretary a small apologetic smile, "I'll just be a minute. I'm sure it won't take long."

Jyou led the pair into a room down the hallway. The three of them entered and Jyou closed the door behind him. He sighed loudly once he had turned to face his guests, "I've only been working here a few weeks and you're already putting my job at jeopardy."

Daisuke shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry, I didn't know who to turn to. I suppose I could've gone to see Koushiro, but you're the first person that came to mind for this."

Jyou shook his head, waving off the apology. "This is Natsu-chan, I take it?"

Natsu offered a bow in greeting at the sound of her name, "Nice to meet you, Jyou-san."

"So what seems to be the trouble, Daisuke?"

"She's been living with me for a little over a week now," Daisuke began explaining. His eyes were wide in near disbelief. "And I just noticed this now."

"What did you notice?" asked Jyou; both he and Natsu leaned in closer for the revelation.

"Her hair is _growing_," Daisuke said. He made sure to place extra emphasis on the word. "It's longer than it was when she first appeared. Her fingernails have grown as well."

Natsu ruffled her brows in confusion. She asked, "Why is this a problem?"

"V-mon has never lost a single tooth," Daisuke began saying. "Tailmon has never shed a single strand of hair," he continued. "Digimon don't age the way humans do, and if your hair and nails are growing, this means that you _are_ aging, and _that_ is a problem."

Jyou cupped his chin in thought. "Koushiro did theorize that she might not even be a digimon, didn't he?"

"How could she not be?" Daisuke frowned. He reasoned further, "She's made of data. She hatched from a digitama – what else could she be?"

"Natsu-san," Jyou began. He locked his eyes with hers, "May I have your hand for a moment?"

She tilted her head slightly in bewilderment at the request, but nevertheless raised her arm to his level. Out of a nearby drawer Jyou retrieved a small shiny object he identified as a nail clipper and returned to her outstretched palm. With a quick and harmless snip, he held a piece of her fingernail between his fingers and presented it to Daisuke.

There was a brief silence as none of them bothered to exchange any words. In between Jyou's fingers was Natsu's broken nail. She peered at it in slight confusion, but she knew enough about digimon to know what this revelation signified: were she a real digimon, any body part removed from her vital core would be unable to maintain its form; were she a real digimon then the nail would have immediately dispersed into particles of data.

Natsu looked up to her two companions. Jyou's features were hard and unreadable. He had performed a simple test and the result had been unsatisfying for all three of them. She risked a glance towards Daisuke next, and frowned at the expression that she saw.

* * *

_It seems that new questions now plague my mind. What am I? Where do I belong? If I am indeed a digimon, then why does the Digital World reject me?_

_Why is it that I look so… so very much like a human, yet I feel like I am anything but?_

_I feel now as though I understand that look in Mimi's eyes. The way Daisuke-san had looked at me gave me the impression that he had little idea as to who I truly was. I couldn't provide an answer for him, as I didn't fully know myself._

_I am hurt by his actions, as I am sure Mimi was hurt by mine. I shall apologize to her immediately._

* * *

The computer screen illuminated the room with a brilliant flash of light as Mimi reentered the Digital World. It was past midnight in New York now, yet here in Japan the sun was still out and Natsu could hear V-mon fumbling over himself in the kitchen as he worked to prepare a late lunch for himself and Natsu.

Daisuke was away at his part-time job. His lengthy working hours this morning meant that both V-mon and Natsu were left behind to care for themselves in his apartment. While one option for the duo would have been to spend yet another day watching romance dramas on the television, Natsu proved to have other plans. With Daisuke's computer and V-mon's help, Natsu had opted to get in contact with the girl that claimed to have met her in that strange foreign world from her past.

Mimi's visit had been rather pleasant; she frequently visited in order to provide her with clothing and various other feminine supplies, but this marked the first time that Natsu had been the one to invite her. Dutifully, Natsu had apologized for their earlier interactions, and in an attempt to find an answer for the questions surrounding her origins, she requested Mimi tell her of the events that had transpired after she and Daisuke had found her in New York. Natsu carefully listened as Mimi spoke; V-mon had added his own two cents every now and then, but for the most part Mimi's words were what struck home.

She spoke to Natsu of the strange frozen world the Chosen had found her in. She recalled the ghostly hue of a New York deserted of all its citizenry. And achingly, through threatening tears, she told Natsu of her failed evolution and the subsequent death of her old self. Yet despite all this new information, these newfound memories failed to provide an answer for any of Natsu's questions. They only stood to remind her of the nightmare from several days ago, and to reaffirm her suspicions that fireflies were to be feared and wary of.

Now Mimi had gone, but Natsu felt relieved at having had a friend like her to turn to. _Friend_; the word startled her as soon as it had entered her thoughts. Natsu's eyes scanned the room where Mimi had stood not a moment before. Her lips parted in brief surprise and a lone finger came up to cover the opening in mild contemplation.

An interruption came in the form of a series of footsteps just outside in the hallway. The footsteps were nearing and no sooner had they stopped when Natsu heard the door to Daisuke's apartment opening. She could hear Daisuke's gruff voice as he entered through the doorway. He seemed displeased as he spoke, "How'd you find out she was staying with me anyways?"

The other voice responded, "Hikari-chan told me about it at first. I spoke with Iori-kun later on, and he confirmed the whole thing."

Natsu could almost visualize the frown on Daisuke's face based on his words. "That's certainly a bit troublesome."

"It's a problem that I know?"

"It's not that, Takeru," Daisuke's voice came again. At this time she could hear the door closing; V-mon, too, was no doubt finishing up in the kitchen in order to join up with his partner. "I just don't want these things spreading around. It's not fair to Nat-chan."

"Did something happen, Daisuke?" Takeru's tone trembled with concern. Natsu willed herself to step closer; she was eager to hear more.

Daisuke's sigh was loud and audible, "Nothing really. I just nearly got Jyou-san fired for bringing him a patient that legally speaking doesn't even exist." Natsu peered through the opening of the slightly ajar door. Daisuke had turned to look at Takeru; his shoulders sagged; his arms hung limply to his sides. "I don't know how long she can stay here before it starts becoming troublesome. I feel like I need to hide her or something."

"Taichi's going to be in town soon," Takeru said. "He's been interning under a few politicians lately. Why not ask him to see if he can help with the legal stuff?"

V-mon rushed onto the scene before Daisuke could muster a reply. He shouted excitedly and nearly tackled the blond human. "Takeru! How's your book coming along? Have you written much yet?"

The mention of books and writing brought forth memories of Natsu's time at the museum. She recalled the _Tale of Genji_ and briefly wondered what stories Daisuke's friend had written. She grew more curious as he began speaking of his work.

Takeru had bent down to V-mon's level, and extended an arm to rest on his shoulder. He chuckled as he spoke, "I've just gotten around to introducing the Crests. There's still quite some time left before you're written in."

V-mon folded his arms. Natsu guessed he was trying to look intimidating. "Aw, no fair! You need to write faster."

Takeru smiled. He placed his arm over his chest, "In my next book, I promise."

V-mon nodded. "You better!"

"Takeru," Daisuke interrupted. "I'm going to be working the next few days; I've got to catch up on my shifts. When did you say Taichi-san would be arriving?"

Takeru frowned. He was silent a moment before he finally spoke. "Let Natsu-san spend a few days with me."

Natsu felt her chest tightening at the request. She glanced towards Daisuke. His brows had immediately risen in question. "Huh? Why?"

"I'll take her to see Taichi," Takeru said. "And if he can't get anything done then maybe we can try and get some help from Sora's father instead."

"I don't like this," Daisuke said. "I'm happy Nat-chan is here with me. She's not alone anymore, and she's getting along great with V-mon, too." He faced away from the other Chosen, "I think it would be wrong to send her away with someone she doesn't even know."

"You said so yourself that you'd be busy working," Takeru reasoned. "Besides, I'm Chosen just like you. Don't you think it would be pointless for her to just loiter around your apartment doing little else other than waiting on you to come home?"

"Yeah, but –" Daisuke got no further than that with his rebuttal. He frowned bitterly, coming to the realization that Takeru was right.

The door from his bedroom opened, drawing attention from all three in the main hallway. Natsu stepped forward, announcing her presence. She could feel all three pairs of eyes gazing at her. Natsu spoke, "Daisuke-san, I shall go and be with your friend while you are unavailable. Please do not worry."

Takeru continued to stare at her in bewilderment, tracing her up and down. His look proved to easily convince her that he hadn't known what to expect; after all, she was certainly unlike any other digimon he had seen before. digimon weren't meant to look human, they weren't meant to wear human clothes, and they definitely weren't meant to grow like she did. Natsu briefly wondered whether to let him know she wasn't quite certain she was a digimon, either.

Daisuke gave his friend a long, hard look. "Takeru," he said. "You better know exactly what you're doing."

* * *

Chapter Notes:  
- Traditional kimonos are worn by both men and women when participating in a tea ceremony.  
- The Baku is a dream-eating creature in Japanese folklore. In other cultures it might also be known as a Tapir.  
- The _Tale of Genji_ is one the oldest written novels in the world (arguably **the** oldest according to some).


	3. Separation Anxiety

Date Started: September 18th, 2009  
Date Finished: February 14th, 2010  
Date Revised: May 16, 2011

* * *

Summary: _A lone digimon known as Natsu feels herself drawn towards Daisuke. Daisuke sets out to find her missing human partner, but isn't prepared for the other mysteries that surround this very human-like digimon._

* * *

Almost Human

Chapter 3 – Separation Anxiety

It was raining that hazy spring night when Natsu left Daisuke's apartment. The rain began as she and Takeru boarded one of the city buses. From there, they would head to Takeru's neighborhood. The warm gentle rain enveloped the streets, and Natsu found comfort in listening to the raindrops as they tapped against the closed windows of the vehicle.

It was her first time truly alone with her new host. She felt an overwhelming sensation of loneliness as she glanced over his reflection in the windows beside her. She had observed him carefully.

Takeru was a long-limbed young man with handsome features. He studied literacy at the public university and worked on his novels during his spare time. He had also mentioned a mother. Natsu knew little else about him beyond that. Yet even after she had left with him, taking along only the few essentials Mimi had left her with, she still maintained that this Takeru was an enigma. He would smile at her; a warm, comforting smile, welcoming smile, though he wouldn't speak much.

"This is where Daisuke and I grew up," Takeru told her as the bus neared his apartment. Natsu stared out through the windows at the many illuminated lights of the surrounding buildings. It occurred to her right then just how far away it was that Daisuke lived. She briefly wondered why he had decided to live so far away from the place of his childhood.

The pair left the bus a few stops later, stepping out in front of a large skyscraper. The rain had settled, and Takeru led her down the shiny wet path towards his apartment building. Natsu glanced upwards, wondering which floor Takeru lived on and how well the sunrise could be viewed from that high up. She looked forward to seeing it with her own eyes. It wasn't long before they entered the building.

The echo of her footsteps startled her no sooner than when she had exited the elevator and stepped out into the empty hallway. The silence unnerved her, and served to highlight every little detail in the sounds around her: from the jingle of Takeru's keys as he withdrew them from his pockets, to the clank of the door unlocking and finally the turn of the knob. Takeru then spoke, "Come on in."

Natsu nodded, and stepped inside. Her gaze drifted around and down the hallway, taking in at what was to be her new home – temporarily, she reminded herself. She looked around the living room, and towards the kitchen. There was a small table, a vibrant carpet, and to the side her eyes locked upon the large glass door leading out onto the terrace. The area was a jungle of plants growing out of bowls, planters and pots.

"A friend of ours owns a floral shop," Takeru said as a ways of explaining.

It was then that one of the bedroom doors clicked open and something that Natsu could only identify as a bright orange blur flew past her line of vision. The blur shrieked as it crashed into her host. "Takeru, you're back!" The creature settled onto the human's shoulder and, as if noticing Natsu for the first time, blinked at her with wide curious eyes, "Who's your friend?"

"This is Natsu-san," Takeru introduced. "She's the digimon that Daisuke and Mimi ran into a few summers ago."

The creature on his shoulder, introduced as Patamon, gaped widely at her. He made no effort to hide his surprise at the random and sudden burst of information.

"My mother should be returning soon," Takeru said. "Should we give you a tour in the meantime?"

"A tour?" Natsu repeated.

Takeru smiled. "Yeah, let me show you around; they say you learn a lot about a person depending on which room they pick to see first."

Natsu nodded. She pointed outside to the terrace. "The garden, then."

He led her along, showing off the various flowers and vases Sora and her mother had given them. It wasn't long before their tour was interrupted by the doorbell. Takeru rose to his feet from where he had been showing off a few sunflowers. His brows ridged in confusion, wondering who the new arrival was.

The answer came along with the loud knock that followed. The female voice was only slightly muffled behind the closed door. "Takeru, come open the door! I forgot my keys!"

Takeru shook his head, chuckling, as he exited the veranda. Natsu looked to Patamon for an explanation.

"It's Takeru's mama," the small digimon said.

Natsu peeked in through the glass door. She stared, astonished, at the remarkably beautiful woman that came rushing into the apartment. "I can't find my keys, I got caught in the rain without an umbrella, and my interview canceled on me. How am I going to write that article now?" The woman loudly complained. The rain had long stopped, though Natsu could see that the woman in front of her was still dripping.

She kicked off her shoes and proceeded to stomp away her frustrations towards the living room. "Oh," she paused in thought as she spotted Natsu looking in at her from the terrace. She immediately straightened and presented Natsu with a slight welcoming bow. "Hello, I'm Takeru's mother, Takaishi Natsuko."

Takeru sighed loudly as his hand traveled up to his forehead, clearly showing his embarrassment at his mother's schoolgirl antics.

Natsu didn't notice, and paid him little attention. She continued to stare at Natsuko, dumbfounded and unable to shift her eyes away from her. The deep sparkle of large, wonderful eyes, the blush well-formed lips, the nose with the high straight bridge – it was as if Natsu had never seen anyone else like her. The closest image she could compare her with was that of the intimate woman from the park, yet even she didn't match Natsuko's vibrant beauty.

Mother turned to son, her look questioning, and Natsu grew aware that she had been staring to the point of rudeness. She quickly bowed back in greeting and apology.

"Takeru," his mother announced, "I'm going to take a shower. You can tell me more about your friend after."

She disappeared behind a nearby door and the sound of running water soon followed. Natsu maintained her gaze over the closed door even after it had shut.

It was Takeru who broke into her thoughts. "Natsu-san, are you feeling a bit intimidated by my mother?"

"Yes." she told him. "I've never seen a woman so beautiful."

"I'm sure she'd love to hear you say that." Takeru laughed.

"Do you have a sibling like Daisuke-san, too?" Natsu thought to ask. Daisuke had spoken of an older sister several times, and although Natsu had learned about siblings and parents through V-mon and the television dramas they watched together, she only now realized that she had never actually met Daisuke's family. It was a strangely discomforting feeling to be meeting one's parent.

"I have an older brother," Takeru said. "He lives with my father."

The statement startled her. "They do not live with you and your mother?"

"No, they don't." Takeru said. The smile he carried left him, and along with it any trace of joy in his voice was now gone as well.

"Why do you no longer live together?" she wondered.

"Natsu-san," she heard Patamon's words of caution behind her.

"The reason doesn't matter anymore," Takeru waved off the question. "It's unimportant."

"It's important to me," she maintained.

The strain on Takeru's voice was evident. "Nat-chan, please just drop it," he said, and was thankful that she finally did.

* * *

_My first day at the Takaishi residence was not a thoroughly pleasant experience. Takeru did not speak much that day after our conversation about his family had declined. He was not fond of my pursuit of the subject, yet aside from that fact his emotions were largely unreadable. Did he want to cry or laugh hysterically? Did he want me to say something, or did he want to be left alone? I couldn't tell._

_But just knowing that his parents no longer lived together was not enough for me. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know why._

_If Natsuko-san was once in love with a man and he in turn in love with her, why was it that they no longer loved each other? It worried me. If an incredibly beautiful person like Natsuko-san was unable to find her own happy ending, how could I ever expect to find my own?_

_I do wonder how Daisuke is doing._

* * *

"Delivery!" Daisuke announced as he knocked on the familiar doorframe. He heard a bit of fumbling as the footsteps inside drew nearer and nearer. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited out in the hallway.

The doorway finally opened, and both Koushiro and Tentomon popped into view. The older boy seemed a bit ruffled and confused. "We didn't order anything," he said.

"You did now," Daisuke merely shrugged and stepped into the uninviting apartment. He handed the twin bags of food to Tentomon and once the digimon had flown off, he turned back to his fellow Chosen. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah," Koushiro nodded. "But I wasn't expecting you until later in the evening." He moved towards his study and motioned for Daisuke to follow. "Jyou dropped off Nat-chan's fingernail last night. I took to analyzing it almost immediately."

Daisuke raised his brows in rapid interest, "Any news?"

"Only somewhat," Koushiro frowned. He sat at his computer desk and adjusted the monitor towards Daisuke's vision. He pointed to a section on the screen. "This is the code retrieved from her nail. It's only a fragment of her original code, though it's still rather suspicious regarding how it's able to stand alone."

"And this means…?" Daisuke prompted.

"Nothing as of yet," Koushiro replied. "Gennai's code doesn't match; and neither does that of any known digimon." He scratched at his chin in thought. "Still, I feel as though I've seen something very similar before; I just can't quite place it."

"Well don't spend too much time worrying over this," Daisuke said. He waved his hand off to the side in an attempt to demonstrate the unimportance of the outcome.

Koushiro nodded. He turned away from the computer and spun around in his chair to face Daisuke. "There's something else…" his voice trailed off, leaving an uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah, what is it?" Daisuke wondered.

Koushiro shifted his seat once more before continuing. "I'll be blunt. Daisuke, what's going on between you and Hikari-san?"

"Wh-what?" Daisuke blinked in surprise; his eyes widened. The redness uncharacteristically rose to his face. "What brings this on?"

Koushiro narrowed his eyes accusingly as he spoke, "Apparently, you two were pretty close when you ran into each other a few days ago."

"I was – uh – just happy to see her," Daisuke said. He stuttered, "And I might have gotten a little carried away and hugged her after we sent that Tyrannomon back to the Digital World."

"Speaking of which…" Koushiro continued. There would be no pause in his chiding of his fellow Chosen. "Why didn't you tell anyone about that rogue digimon you encountered?"

Daisuke frowned. "Well, Hikari-chan and I took care of it. Nothing major happened, so it just kind of slipped my mind."

Koushiro didn't seem to be buying it. "The first digimon attack in three years magically occurs when your little friend shows up again and you didn't think it important to tell anyone?"

"I – um…" Daisuke's voice failed him. He suddenly felt like a toddler caught red handed by a strict parent while stealing out of the cookie jar. Koushiro's intimidating presence certainly intensified the feeling, and all Daisuke managed to do was to rub at the back of his neck nervously.

Koushiro merely shook his head. "What do you plan to do about this? You mentioned that Nat-chan was once jealous of your friendship with V-mon – if she sees the affection you and Hikari-san share, her jealousy will only get worse."

"That can't be right," Daisuke attempted a weak chuckle. "Nat-chan and V-mon are getting along great now. And there's nothing between me and Hikari-chan at all."

Koushiro raised a brow, challenging the statement. "Is that so? I would've thought otherwise. It's no secret that you like Hikari-san, and if she's begun returning your feelings recently then you've better make sure that Nat-chan doesn't manage to cause you two any trouble."

Daisuke fell to silent contemplation. He stood there a good minute musing over Koushiro's words, and was only stirred away from his thoughts when Tentomon called for his partner from the other room. "Koushiro-han, if you stay in there any longer I'm going to move on to eating your share."

"I should get going," Daisuke declared.

Koushiro nodded. "Thanks for the delivery."

The two Chosen exited the study, and with a half-hearted goodbye Daisuke clumsily stumbled outside of Koushiro's apartment. He took in a few deep breaths as he stood alone in the hallway, trying to decide his next course of action. With fists clenched, his chest tight, he made his resolve. After one last nervous intake of air, he left for the Yagami's apartment to see Hikari.

* * *

The narrow hallway flickered between its state of dim light and temporary darkness. Repairs didn't seem to be very high on the landlord's priority list, and the already poor atmosphere of the apartment building increased tenfold as a result. Daisuke wasn't one to complain, but as he achingly urged himself onward towards his apartment door – drawing him inwards with the single slim stream of light that escaped from the bottom creaks of the doorway – he was greatly considering it.

Despite the situation of the building, Daisuke had other things on his mind. One such thing was that Nat-chan had left the previous day. She would be spending the next week or so living with Takeru and his mother. While a small part of him missed her already, Daisuke knew that he wouldn't have been able to see much of her even if she had decided to remain with him. The other issue on his mind was that Hikari had once again told him that she would rather they simply remain friends. His hopes that she would have returned his feelings had shot up at Koushiro's suspicion that the two of them had begun dating, yet they were just as quickly shot down by the harsh reality that Hikari saw him as nothing more than a good friend and a fellow Chosen.

His shoulders sagged. Key in hand, he reached upwards to unlock his door. He wondered briefly whether Hikari would ever return his feelings, but then grumbled at the inner voice that reminded him that this wasn't the first time she'd turned him down.

The apartment door unlocked with the flick of his wrist, and he entered inside. He yawned and stretched as he lazily announced his presence. It wasn't loud by any means, but over the dead sounds in the apartment he was sure that V-mon could have easily heard him.

The silence continued as V-mon failed to reply. Immediately Daisuke's senses tensed. He considered briefly that V-mon could likely be asleep and hadn't yet heard his partner's arrival. He slowly made his way towards the door of his bedroom, consciously keeping from making any noises that would alert to his presence. He paused at the closed doorway, and listened.

There were a few soft murmurs coming from inside the room. It didn't tell him much, but Daisuke was still aware of one thing - that the voice he had briefly heard from behind the door did not belong to his partner V-mon.

In the split second that followed he roughly shoved the door open and rushed into his bedroom. He looked around angrily for the intruder and shouted for his partner.

His partner didn't respond, though a feminine shriek caught his attention. The voice came from below, and he stared downwards for the source. He blinked curiously at the sight.

The startled look on her face quickly turned into a scowl. She grumbled at him as she rose to her feet, "Geez, Daisuke, way to scare me half to death."

Daisuke frowned as he stared at her. She wore a nightgown and seemed to have been comfortably sleeping in his room before he'd arrived. "What are you doing here, Mimi?"

"I was trying to get some beauty sleep." Achingly, she rubbed at the side of her back. "I don't know how you sleep on that thing."

Daisuke folded his arms, clearly not amused. "It's a futon, and I sleep on it just fine." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Where's V-mon?"

Mimi smiled sheepishly. "I – uh – I sent him to the Digital World."

"You did what?" Daisuke didn't bother to hide his irritation as he moved towards his computer all the while struggling to fish out his Digivice from the insides of his spring jacket. "Why would you do that? Now I've got to go bring him back."

"Let him stay there a while," Mimi pleaded. "He asked me to let him go."

"That's ridiculous," Daisuke said. "V-mon wouldn't want to leave."

"He's lonely here, Daisuke." Mimi said. "You work all day and just leave him behind here all alone. He said it's even worse now that Nat-chan isn't around either."

"No – he – he wouldn't just decide to go!" Daisuke cried out. He frowned. "If V-mon was bored sitting around here then he should've said he wanted to come along with me!"

"I don't think he's happy with the life you two have here." Mimi told him. "Running around with you while you deliver ramen won't change that."

"That's not the point," Daisuke maintained. He curled up a fist, "We're supposed to be partners. We're supposed to tell each other everything. If he wasn't happy, he should've let me know!"

Mimi stared at him accusingly, "The same way you told him about how you're having trouble paying for this place?" She motioned her hands around the apartment.

Daisuke's face fell. "How'd you know that?"

"Takeru told me," she replied. "I phoned him earlier today when V-mon told me Nat-chan would be staying with him for a while."

"She chose to do that on her own," Daisuke said. He hoped his expression didn't hint to the frustration he felt from her decision.

Mimi ignored him. "You should have told us. We would all have been willing to help you."

"No," he shook his head. "I couldn't ask that. I knew that my family wouldn't be helping support me forever, and I told myself that I'd be standing on my own two feet when that time came."

"Just so happens that with Nat-chan around the funds depleted before you were ready?" Mimi inquired. With a sigh, she continued, "Is living alone really that important to you?"

Daisuke said nothing; he preferred to look away from her gaze instead. The shame that came with the answer overwhelmed him. The first thing he had decided on doing after graduating from high school was to move out of his parent's apartment. He wanted to show everyone that he could support himself, that he could live a stable life without having to rely on anyone else, and that he could go into business on his own. More importantly, he wanted to show Hikari his worth as a man in the hopes that she would be able to see him as more than just the neighborhood boy she had grown up with.

Now, after having left home, he was on the verge of failing all of his goals. He could feel the frustration from his failure threatening to rise up out of his throat.

"Nat-chan is not a pet, Daisuke," Mimi interrupted his thoughts. Her brows bristled as she spoke. "You can't just toss her off on someone else when you can't afford to keep her around anymore. She's a digimon and –"

"I never asked for her to come back into my life!" he shouted. "I was doing just fine before she showed up at my doorstep!"

"Daisuke, get a hold of yourself," Mimi frowned. Her voice was laced with concern. "This isn't like you at all. Talk to me."

He sighed. The many annoyances had grouped up and managed to ruin his day. Nat-chan had left, he had been lectured by Koushiro, received yet another rejection by Hikari, and even V-mon had opted to return to the Digital World rather than remain with him; Daisuke found it to be simply too much to deal with all at once. He couldn't even dare to add his failing finances to the list of current worries. It would be best to deal with one thing at a time.

"It's Nat-chan," Daisuke said. He shivered as he spoke. His hands trembled at his sides and he was sure his lips were quivering as well. He managed to continue, "At times, she scares me. It's like I don't know who she is. She's not a digimon; Jyou and Koushiro confirmed that. We don't even know what she is anymore."

Mimi sighed. She stepped closer towards him, gently raising a hand and caressing his cheek with the tips of her fingers. "Poor Daisuke," she began. "Have you forgotten your own words?"

"What words?" he scoffed, but met her gaze with both mild confusion and curiosity.

It was then that the memories came flooding in before Mimi even thought to continue speaking again. He recalled that one summer in New York when he had first encountered Nat-chan. He remembered the data chips corrupting her core, forcing her to evolve. Even though she could have potentially turned into an enemy, Daisuke hadn't feared her. He wasn't afraid of her then, and he had told them all why. Because despite what form she might have eventually evolved into, deep inside she was still..._  
_

"It shouldn't matter what she is," Mimi spoke softly. "Or even what she isn't. You weren't afraid of her then and you shouldn't be afraid of her now, because remember..." she paused briefly to allow her lips to curl upwards into a smile as she quoted him. "In your heart, she's still just Nat-chan."

* * *

Morning had come, and Natsu awoke to the sound of running water. The first thing she noticed was that she had missed the sunrise, having been alerted so by the outside lights streaming in through the blinds. She rose up out of her bed and slowly stumbled out of the Takaishi's spare room. She was told that this was where Takeru's brother Yamato slept whenever he decided to visit; though the room had apparently remained unused for several years until now. The room itself was fairly large, much larger than Daisuke's, and the bed proved more comfortable than the futon as well.

Drowsily she stepped into the kitchen. There she saw Takeru's mother, her back turned, washing the dishes. She placed the last plate to dry and shut off the running water. She then turned to Natsu with a bright smile so cheery it placed many levels above any she had seen from either Daisuke or V-mon. "Good morning, Nat-chan."

The greeting brought Natsu back to her senses, and she returned it in kind.

"I'm always hungry in the morning," Natsuko-san spoke. "Takeru's able to skip breakfast every now and then, but I just can't do it."

"I see," Natsu replied.

Natsuko dried her hands with a nearby cloth and then moved to the stove. She switched on an element and placed a pan over the flame. Turning to Natsu, she said, "Grab a few eggs out of the fridge for me. I'll make us some omelets."

"Sure," Natsu quickly agreed. She moved to the refrigeration and brought out several eggs. She paused in front of Natsuko, who reached for an egg. "Would you teach me?" She requested.

"Of course," Natsuko smiled, and demonstrated. "First you break the eggs like this, and then…"

The warmth of her smile filled the entire apartment. Natsu felt the joy of being in the same room with the woman she had so quickly grown to admire. The kitchen smelled of egg and butter, and the two of them calmly set the tables for their breakfast meal.

"You don't have to bring the third plate," Natsuko said. "Takeru left already; it'll just be the two of us."

"Where did he go?" Natsu asked.

"To that other world," his mother told her. "He goes there whenever he wants to write. He says it's his muse or something like that."

The sudden recollection came to Natsu that this woman lived alone with only her son. Nostalgia washed over her as she remembered the previous day's discussion with Takeru. Her cheeks burned as she thought of asking this woman right here and now what the reason behind her separation was. Yet the discussion had pained Takeru, and Natsu did not want to cause that same distress to this amazing woman here in front of her.

They sat and ate in a comfortable silence. The windows were open, allowing a soft breeze to flow. The sounds of children playing outside in the spring weather roamed throughout the apartment. The plants on the terrace were enveloped in the gentle sunlight, sparkling green and increasing the beautiful atmosphere of Natsu's new home. It was a warm, beautiful morning.

"When I saw you yesterday, I had to force myself not to laugh."

Natsu blinked at the older woman's words, "Why is that?"

Still smiling, Natsuko said, "It was just unbelievable to me that Takeru would bring a girl home."

"I see," Natsu simply said.

"That boy," his mother said. "I think my divorce affected him more than he likes to let on. He's not very good at dealing with emotional things; he's never brought a girl home or even dated anyone as far as I know. I know I haven't done everything right for him, but I wanted the best for him – for both him and his brother. They're both wonderful kids."

Natsu nodded. "Takeru-san was very nice for having invited me over."

"You're wonderful, too. I'm sure your mother would be proud." Natsuko smiled at her, yet the smile quickly faded when she took note of the immediate distraught and empty expression that developed over Natsu's features.

It had come suddenly with that simple comment. Natsu's eyes were downcast; she found that she was unable to speak. There was a growing wetness in her eyes and a stiff pain in her chest. It was unlike any feeling she had ever experienced before. The harder she tried to prevent the tears from flowing, the more they threatened to shed. She forced herself to look away.

"Nat-chan?" she tried again, but the girl merely remained in her seat, silent and listless.

* * *

_Natsuko-san truly is an amazing person. It wasn't long before I saw for myself just how much she cared for her son. While I wanted happiness for myself, Natsuko-san only wanted happiness for her son. Takeru is a very lucky child - that is what I thought that morning during breakfast. I want someone like Natsuko-san to care for me in the way that she cares for Takeru - this is what I also thought about that morning._

_Yet when Natsuko-san mentioned my mother, I came to realize that such a person does not exist. Such a person can not exist, for I was born of an egg, not of another. I do not have a mother, and it immediately dawned on me just how alone I truly am. I was without family, without anybody there to care for me in the way that Natsuko-san cared for Takeru, and from this revelation everything else before my eyes seemed false._

_Natsuko-san was not my mother. I had to understand this to be true, despite how much I wished that it wasn't._

* * *

Chapter Notes:  
- A few of the segments surrounding the Takaishi household were based off the written work by Banana Yoshimoto in her novella _Kitchen_.  
- Daisuke's "own words" about Natsu were taken from his declaration that he did not fear her evolved form in the Drama CD where her character was first introduced.  
- Takeru's mother has a rather interesting name given the context of this story. It's clear that Natsu's name is directly derived from Natsuko. Natsu means "summer," and ko means "child"; therefore Natsuko's name would mean "summer child."  
- To explain a little nitpicking issue from the previous chapter, Japan's medical program lasts 6 years and may be started right after high school. All graduates of high school will also turn 18 in their final year, and some will even turn 19 seeing as the school year doesn't end until March the following year. So Daisuke would be around 18/19, with Jyou being four years older being about 22/23. The 6 year medical program is four years of study, with the last two years being clinical training at a work environment of a medical facility that's working in co-operation with the university. To conclude, Jyou hasn't graduated to become a full-fledged doctor quite yet, but he's at the point where he's done his studies and should be out somewhere gaining work experience.


	4. One Spring Day

Date Started: April 18th, 2010  
Date Finished: April 21st, 2010  
Date Revised: May 16, 2011

* * *

Summary: _A lone digimon known as Natsu feels herself drawn towards Daisuke. Daisuke sets out to find her missing human partner, but isn't prepared for the other mysteries that surround this very human-like digimon._

* * *

Almost Human

Chapter 4 – One Spring Day

Natsu lay on the bed in the Takaishi guest room. Noon had only just arrived for her first day there. The lights were off and the windows closed. Despite the daylight outside, the curtains allowed only small traces of light to enter the dimly lit room. Exhaustion had overwhelmed her, it being a byproduct of her earlier distress. It had been a strange feeling of loneliness; it was a sadness, a depression that she had never felt before. Until but a few days ago the word _family_ had been foreign to her, and now she found herself desperately craving for one of her own.

"I helped her to bed earlier," she could hear the voices outside. "She became really distraught over something during breakfast."

"Tell me what happened," another said. The voices became fainter. The next few exchanges were little more than hushed whispers to her ears. Natsu wondered what Takeru and his mother would now be discussing. Perhaps they would decide it best that she went back to Daisuke.

Eventually the whispers stopped. She could feel a pair of footsteps drawing ever closer, and culminating with a knock at her door. Takeru's voice called from behind the door, "Nat-chan, are you awake?"

She stood up, the bed and her rest forgotten. Immediately she felt the dizzy lightheaded sensation that came hand in hand with an attempt at forced sleep. Quickly she shook the cobwebs off, and opened the door. Staring upwards, she blinked at her host.

"Hello," she simply said.

He frowned. Without a word he stepped into the room. He opened his mouth to speak, and then thought better of it and closed it once again. He came to a stop near the edge of the bed and took a seat. Natsu followed his movements with her eyes all the while.

"I wanted to apologize to you," he finally said.

Her brow ridges narrowed. "Why is that? I don't recall you doing anything that troubled me."

Takeru looked away, not wanting to meet her gaze. "I was upset with you," he told her.

"I see." Natsu nodded. She had been worried about that the previous day.

"You were asking personal questions about my parents and it angered me," Takeru explained. "And because of my anger I didn't want to see you today. And for that, I apologize."

"I still do not understand." Natsu said. Takeru turned to look at her at last as she continued, "Why does this warrant an apology? I've also felt anger before."

She recalled her own feelings towards Daisuke and the female Hikari. She had been angry that Daisuke had chosen Hikari over herself for his display of affection, and afterwards it had been Daisuke that had taken her elsewhere to calm her mind as a token of apology. Natsu had not been the one to apologize.

"Because I was in the wrong," Takeru said. "I invited you here because Daisuke would have been too busy to be with you." He frowned then, "And yet despite that, on your first day here I left you behind to stay with my mother."

Natsu felt a smile rising in her cheeks. "That was not a problem. I rather enjoy her company. She is a wonderful person."

At that Takeru chuckled, "You're really fond of her, aren't you?"

Natsu nodded. "I am, very much so. I do not wish to cause her any ill by staying here. Shall we go back to Daisuke?"

"Nonsense," he waved off her concern almost immediately. "I spoke with my friend Taichi. He'll come by to the apartment later this evening."

Another nod, and then she spoke again. "What shall we do until then?"

Takeru blinked. That was quite the question. He'd freely admit that he hadn't quite planned out what to do with Natsu once he had brought her here, he only knew that he needed to help Daisuke and that she needed to see Taichi. Mimi had mentioned Natsu was looking for a partner, yet Daisuke had not uttered a word about it – neither had Nat-chan for that matter. He briefly recalled what she and Daisuke had already done: hung out with Hikari, had tea with Iori, gone to the museum. She had been introduced to both Koushiro and to Jyou, but now Takeru wondered, what did he have to offer? It was unlikely she would show any interest in reading his unfinished manuscripts.

"Takeru-san?" she interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, right," he smiled, coming out of his reverie. "I can show you around the neighborhood. There's no sense in staying indoors." He continued, buying some more time until he could make a decision, "We could go see Iori – he lives in this building – maybe you'd like to have tea with him again?" He judged her reaction before continuing, "Another of our friends, Miyako, lives in the building too. Her parents own the I-Mart at the base of the apartment complex."

Natsu raised her brows in suspicion. She had met Takeru the previous day at Daisuke's, and not once had she heard him speak as much as she had just now. "That sounds fun," she said, moving towards the window. Setting the curtains aside, she opened the window and peered outside. "Is there much to see in your neighborhood?"

Below her was a nearby park. She could hear the distant chatter of children in play. Another sound caught her attention as well. It was a rhythmic thump, a sound of something repeatedly hitting an isolated paved field within the confines of the park. She identified a single boy as the cause of the sound; he was there with an object, repeatedly bouncing it off the ground with alternating hands, and every now and then he would throw it upwards where it would hit a board held in place by a stationary pole.

The sound had apparently been heard by Takeru as well, for when she turned to face him he carried quite the cheeky grin. Again, it was yet another such thing she had never seen on him before.

His grin remained as he announced his decision, "Nat-chan, I know just what to do."

* * *

_Takeru's apology was unexpected. His explanation stemmed from the fact that I had inadvertently caused him anger, and because of that the fault lay with him instead of with me._

_I am still uncertain of this reasoning. If this is indeed true, then perhaps I should apologize to Hikari-san as well, for she had unknowingly caused me to anger._

_Yet, I find that I do not want to apologize._

* * *

The view of the Digital World erupted upon Daisuke's vision as he exited from the television screen behind him. It had certainly been a while since his last visit. He glanced upon his surroundings at the largely familiar forest. The grass was soft beneath his feet; it was summer in this part of the world, and many flowers bloomed around him. He noticed below that he stood on one of them, and as he lifted his foot off it let loose a soothing, tranquil scent as it recovered and sprang back up. It inspired him to move onwards.

He made sure to watch out for twining roots as he passed through the forest of trees. It slowed his pace slightly, but he was determined to press forward. Soft lights glowed from within the greenery at his sides, hidden by the dark shades the vast flora provided. They appeared as eyes staring at him from the darkness, and the soft sounds of rustling and movement confirmed them as such. He was sure that whatever was watching him was merely curious, and not a threat, yet the strange eerie calm his surroundings provided was at complete odds with what Daisuke's senses were telling him.

With a grunt, he sped forward, leaping over fallen tree trunks and dashing towards where he knew the open clearing awaited him. The bright lights sizzled out, the leaves and bushes rustling as whatever had been watching him retreated from the scene.

Soon he reached his destination: a small cave surrounded by trees with a small meadow extending from its mouth. With a deep breath, he stepped inside and continued down the tunnel.

Only slightly deeper into the cave, he found his partner there, just as he knew he would. There was V-mon, sitting on the stone pedestal where he had once slept for close to an eternity, his head in his hands, worried and lost.

Daisuke sighed loudly, just enough for the digimon to hear.

V-mon jerked his head upwards instantly at the sound. His eyes widened, "Daisuke! What're you doing here?"

"I came to take you home," Daisuke said. He shook his head, "Just what were you thinking coming here?"

V-mon turned away, his arms crossed over his chest, his chin held high. "I am home," he declared. "This was home before being with you was home."

"Don't say that," Daisuke frowned. "Look, I know you're upset with me about Nat-chan right now, but she'll come back soon."

V-mon didn't turn around. He let out a 'humph' in reply.

"And I'm sorry for leaving you two behind so much."

"I don't care!"

"What do you mean you don't care?" Daisuke grimaced. He continued, "I suppose I didn't think too much about it since you and Nat-chan were getting along so great. I thought you would be fine if you were alone together."

"It's Nat-chan that doesn't want to get along," V-mon turned to Daisuke, trying to show his anger, yet the pitying look he gave was anything but. "She doesn't like me."

"You mean she's jealous of you again?" Daisuke couldn't believe it.

"No, not that," V-mon said. He hopped onto both feet before he continued. "She just doesn't like me. When we're with Tentomon," he motioned with his hands, and then pointed to his partner, "She would rather be with you and Koushiro, when it was with Armadimon she would rather pay attention to you and Iori." He shook his head then, "Haven't you noticed? Nat-chan always prefers being with you humans. I think that's why she went with Takeru."

Daisuke blinked. He had been silent while V-mon spoke, and he had to admit he really hadn't noticed any of these subtle actions Natsu had undertaken. He tried to come up with a reason, "Maybe it's because she's still looking for her partner?"

But V-mon merely shook his head. "If there's any human that she's looking for, it's you Daisuke."

Daisuke frowned. He didn't want to hear such a declaration, yet deep down held the suspicious feeling that it was highly accurate. He just didn't want to admit it. He had V-mon as a partner, and he was happy with that.

"You're my partner V-mon," Daisuke maintained. "I would never ask for anyone else."

"I'm happy to hear that, Daisuke," V-mon tried to smile. "But what would Nat-chan say about that?"

"She knows that you're my partner," Daisuke's face was grim. "And she'll find her own partner, I'm sure of it." At V-mon's silence he forced a sigh, "And even if she doesn't, she'll be fine on her own. Taichi-san and Sora's dad will make sure that she can live her own life. She can live like a human, around humans, even with humans if she chooses to."

V-mon voiced meekly, "And what about us?"

Daisuke's expression gave away. His shoulders fell as he continued. "Listen, V-mon, I spoke with Mimi earlier, and she gave me a lot to think about." He paused a brief moment at V-mon's expectant gaze. "I think I'm going to go back home."

"You mean to your parents?" V-mon wondered.

"Yeah," Daisuke nodded. "We've barely even been on our own for a month, but I already think it's time to call it quits. Right before I came here I told my folks that I want to take the entrance exams next year, and they're already more than encouraging it."

V-mon smiled. "So, it's back to the old neighborhood, huh?"

He'd never seen Daisuke's grin any wider. "So how's about it, V-mon?" said Daisuke. "Think it's time we went home – our real home?"

He extended a hand towards his partner, and V-mon happily shook it.

* * *

Takeru and Patamon had led her out of the building towards the local playground. Many of the children had dispersed as it was now early evening and the sun would soon be setting. The lone stretch of isolated pavement was empty now, the one boy she had seen from the apartment windows had long since left. Takeru carried a round orange stripped ball in his arms. Every now and then he would bounce it against the ground. It never failed to bounce right back into his awaiting arms.

"This is the basketball court," Takeru explained once they had come to a stop. "The objective of the game is to throw the ball through the hoop." He pointed towards the pole with the backboard. Natsu could see the metal ring with a small net attached to it falling downwards.

As a demonstration, Takeru threw the ball in his hands and with a _swoosh_ it fell through the basket. It bounced towards them as it hit the ground and Takeru sprinted forwards to catch it once again in his arms.

Natsu nodded in understanding. Takeru and Patamon proceeded to explain various terms used in the game. The ball was only allowed to move when it was bounced off the ground with the player's hands – this was known as dribbling. If the ball ever came to rest in the player's hands, the player was forced to pass – throw the ball to a teammate – or shoot – throw the ball towards the basket in an attempt to score a point.

"Put your hands against your chest like this – palms outwards," Takeru said, and demonstrated. "This is a basic way to receive a pass." With that, he gently passed the ball to her.

With her palms outstretched and in proper position, she easily managed to catch the ball with both hands. Natsu blinked, half surprised. "I caught it," she said.

Takeru grinned. His partner Patamon gave her a round of applause from the other side of the court. The little digimon shouted to her, "Shoot it in, Nat-chan!"

She stared down at the ball in her hands, holding it now for the first time. She bounced it once against the ground, feeling for the amount of effort it would take to throw it. It came back into her hands, and she did it again a second time, and then a third after that. Satisfied, she attempted a shot towards the basket.

It didn't even reach the required height.

She grimaced, her face full of disappointment and frustration at the outcome. Takeru let out a chuckle as he jogged towards the ball. He picked it up and casually tossed it back to her with an underhand pass. She bent forward and reached out with both arms to catch it.

Natsu frowned down at the ball in her hands. She mimicked her previous shot, yet instead of aiming for the basket she threw it back to Takeru with both hands. "Show me," she requested.

"From here?" Takeru asked from where he stood. "Are you sure? This is a three-pointer."

She nodded, despite not quite knowing what a three-pointer was. Takeru's grin returned and he prepared for the shot. He bounced the ball a few times, and then bent down holding it in a crouch. He rose to almost full height before releasing it into the air. It soared towards the backboard, hitting it briefly before landing on the inner rim of the basket and finally falling down through the loop.

"Way to go, Takeru!" Patamon cheered for his partner. Natsu stared at him in awe.

"Just a lucky shot," Takeru colored at the praise, and went to retrieve the ball.

The basketball once again found its way into Natsu's grasp. She tried and failed several more times in getting it in the basket.

Patamon stifled a giggle, and she shot him a glare in return.

"You'll have better control of the ball if you shoot with one hand," Takeru told her.

Her next attempt proved even more disastrous.

"This isn't working," she complained. "Why are you able to do it properly yet I'm not?"

Takeru smiled. "I'll help you get it right, don't worry."

He moved to a step beside her, showing her the proper posture. "Hold it flat in your palm like this with your right hand, using the left to hold the ball steady." He next motioned the shot, "Then extend your right arm outwards in an arc like this."

She mimicked the action. The basketball soared through the air, much higher than she had previously managed thus far. Still, it bounced off the backboard and fell to the ground, having missed the basket completely.

"You're getting better," Patamon shouted words of encouragement.

"Let's try this again," Takeru told her. "You've almost got it."

"Alright," she said. The determination was clear on her face. With a smile, he brought the ball back to her once more. She subsequently got into position again, and nervously glanced towards Takeru. "Am I doing it right?" she asked.

He nodded, stepping in to stand behind her, helping her steady the ball. He bent forward, coming to rest beside her and his arms reaching around her own. He began speaking almost immediately. "Right hand holding the ball, left hand balancing," his voice lowered. "Keep your eye on the basket – on three, alright? Concentrate."

"I can't," she said.

Takeru blinked. "Huh? Why not?"

"You are blowing in my ear. It is distracting."

Takeru let out a short nervous chuckle before taking a full step back. He pulled away from her completely; clearing his throat, he began again, "Is it better now?"

"Shall I shoot?" she asked.

"Go for it," Takeru said.

She nodded. Her arm shot forward, sending the ball flying. Her eyes clenched shut almost instinctively, not willing to follow where the ball would go. It was only when she heard the familiar _swoosh_ sound did she will her eyes open. She blinked, eyeing the ball as it fell to the ground. She whispered to herself in disbelief, "Did I do it?"

"Nat-chan, you did it!" Patamon flew right in front of her. "You were awesome! You were like this," he mimed a few throws mid-air, "and the ball was like _swoosh_ right in the middle of the basket!"

His words went unnoticed by Natsu. She stood still, not yet overcome from the surprise of getting the basket. "I did it," she repeated. "I did it!" she said again, and turned towards Takeru, fully sharing in his enthusiasm and smiles.

She laughed aloud, leaping forward with her arms surrounding him in a fierce hug. "I actually got it in!" she told him, "It's all thanks to you, Takeru."

She sighed wistfully, as if a heavy burden had been lifted just due to her one single success on the basketball court. She rested her head down on Takeru's shoulder, feeling his cheek against her own. It was then that she came back to her senses and realized what she was doing. The embrace startled her, and it startled her even more when she noticed that Takeru was indeed hugging her back.

* * *

It was finally time for the long awaited meeting. Yagami Taichi was a fairly young man, and while no doubt older than either Takeru or Daisuke, his vibrant youth was still the focal point of his character. He arrived with two elder men, clearly showing the contrast to his age. He identified one as Tanaka-san, a politician he had recently begun working under, and the other as Takenouchi-san, a professor from Kyoto University that studied and dealt with matters related to the Digital World.

"There shouldn't be any trouble in getting her registered," Taichi-san was saying. He sat on the sofa in the Takaishi living room with the other two men. All three had arrived dressed in formal black tuxes. They carried with them a startlingly intimidating presence. Standing nearby was Takeru, Patamon on his shoulder. His mother sat at a nearby chair on the other side of the coffee table. Natsu peered at the meeting from behind Takeru, sitting at the table in the kitchen. They had been discussing her situation for the entirety of the past hour.

"Is it really not a problem?" Natsuko-san asked. Prior to the meeting, Natsu had become aware that Takeru's mother thought her to be simply a normal human. She couldn't begin to imagine the surprise that the elder woman had experienced upon learning that the girl her son had brought home was just another digimon.

"Digimon form partnerships with humans," Takenouchi-san added. "They come to our world for that very purpose. It's utterly impossible to police at this time, and as I'm sure you know," he motioned with his hands towards Patamon and Takeru, "It's been declared that partnered digimon need to be registered in order to remain in this world."

"How exactly will that help Nat-chan?" Takeru thought to ask while the attention was still on him. "She hasn't exactly found a partner yet."

It was Tanaka-san that offered an answer this time. "These digital creatures appear out of nowhere – they've never been recorded to exist previously, yet they become registered as part of the family almost immediately." The man had a bushy mustache, and it bristled at each word he spoke. "Since this is a relatively new phenomenon, the proper official forms have yet to be made. At this time it's no different than taking in an orphan."

"An orphan?" asked Natsuko-san. Her tone was that of bewilderment.

"It fits, don't you think so?" Tanaka-san said. "Your Natsu-san is a lost girl with no family, and this is the second home she has been to – it fits the profile of an orphan doesn't it?" He turned to his aide, "Yagami-kun, how old would you say that poor girl looks?"

All gathered immediately turned towards the kitchen, looking over Natsu. She blinked a few times, before finally looking away to avoid their gaze.

"She could pass for maybe sixteen or so," Taichi-san answered.

"Exactly," Tanaka-san nodded. "At this point it would be better for us to find her a proper family instead of treating her like a digimon without a partner."

Natusko-san started. "Now just a min-"

"I agree with him," Takenouchi-san interrupted. "I understand that Natsu-san has developed friendships with some of the Chosen, but it would be unfair for her to be moved around from home to home while we just wait for her to find a suitable partner. She needs schooling, a family, and a permanent home."

"She doesn't have to move around anywhere," Takeru said. At his side, Patamon firmly nodded. Takeru continued, "Nat-chan has a home right here, isn't that right, mom?" He looked to his mother for approval, and after receiving it turned back to the girl behind him. "Right, Nat-chan?" he repeated.

Taichi frowned, voicing his thoughts before Natsu could reply. "Now, Takeru, don't rush into this. We should at least discuss it with the others first."

"There shouldn't be anything to discuss," Takeru maintained. He looked to the elder men, "You are correct, Nat-chan hasn't even been in our world for two full weeks yet and she's already in her second home, but I don't want to see her moving on to a third before she's even become accustomed to this one."

Before either of the men could reply, Natsuko spoke up. "Perhaps we should hear what Nat-chan has to say about this?" she suggested.

Again the spotlight turned to Natsu. She frowned, thinking deeply about what the others had spoken of. She looked to Tanaka-san, contemplating, "You wish to find me a suitable family?"

"Yes, that is what the three of us discussed before arriving," the man said.

Natsu thought back to the early morning, to the feelings of the love and family that she craved. A mother like Natsuko-san, perhaps even a sibling similar to the ones Daisuke and Takeru spoke of. She glanced towards Takeru, recalling the hug they shared earlier. She thought about Daisuke, about V-mon, and about Natsuko-san. It was then that the sudden idea came to her.

She turned back to Tanaka-san. "I, too, wish for a family." Out of the corner of her eye she could see the grimace on Takeru's face. For a moment she thought there was hurt showing from Natsuko-san as well. Natsu tried to ignore it.

The older man smiled. "Then it's settled. We'll begin the procedures immediately."

"However," Natsu said. "I request permission to choose the family."

"Of course," Taichi-san said. "We'd never leave you with anyone that you wouldn't want to be with."

"It is as Taichi-kun says," Takenouchi-san told her. "You will be able to pick the family you wish to stay with."

"In that case," Natsu began. "I would like to choose the Takaishi family."

Takeru's eyes went wide. Likewise, so did Patamon's. She didn't have the courage to meet Natsuko-san's gaze, but had she looked she would have seen the flattered, almost welcoming smile.

* * *

_Much has happened in the span of those twenty-four hours that I've spent with Takeru and his mother. I've felt joy, I've felt sadness. I've laughed, and I've cried. I had fun with Takeru and had caused him distress. I found someone I admire in his mother, and I certainly hope Natsuko-san will be able to find someone she likes within me._

_I'll admit to an ulterior motive during the meeting with Taichi-san, which I do not wish to state. I've found joy with Takeru, and while it was not quite as much as with Daisuke, it was certainly enough to share an embrace._

_The romantic couple that I witnessed by chance so many days ago is still on my mind, albeit the memory is fading. I can no longer recall what the pair looked like. It is only the vivid imagery of their intimate display that remains. I see myself in place of the woman, and in place of the man…_

_I will not hide it anymore. In place of the man is Daisuke._

* * *

Daisuke and V-mon were finally ready to depart the Digital World. He had arrived looking for his partner in the late evening, and they had spend much of the night beside a lit bonfire at the mouth of V-mon's cave, gazing up at the stars together and discussing their future plans. Chief of their topics revolved around Nat-chan and wondering how she was coping with Takeru, if she had met with Taichi yet, how Daisuke's parents would be welcoming them back, and of course Daisuke's old goal of running his own ramen business.

During their talks, Daisuke still couldn't shake the feeling that the pair was being watched from the darkness of the surrounding forests. Ever so often he would hear a few footsteps or the nearby rustling of foliage when there was no wind about. He ignored it for as long as he could, and immediately regretted it when the sun finally rose and the pair set out to return to the human world only to find no nearby television in sight.

His eyes narrowed, annoyed, as he stared at his surroundings. Whatever had been spying on him was by now long gone. He grunted, and began retracing his steps looking for the Digital Gate he had used the previous evening. He nudges his partner to follow along, "C'mon, V-mon, looks like we've got quite a walk ahead of us."

V-mon frowned. "The Gate I came through should have been here."

"Seems like someone moved it," Daisuke said. "Hopefully the one I used is still there."

After roughly a half hours walk, Daisuke finally stood in place only to stare at a dead television screen. It was the same one he had used the previous day, but it wasn't reacting to the Digital Gate he had left opened on his home computer, and he didn't have any idea as to why. Something had shut his computer off during the night, and his best guesses ranged from local power outages to his computer randomly crashing. He considered either to be just as likely as the other, as he simply wasn't paranoid enough to believe that whatever had been spying on him had been able to access something in his apartment. V-mon nudged him from his side. "We'll need someone to open another Gate for us," his digimon partner pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it," Daisuke said. He quickly fished out his D-Terminal and sent an e-mail to Ken.

He sighed at the lack of an immediate response. It was several minutes later when one finally came, letting Daisuke know that Ken was on route to visit Koushiro and was unable to open a gate. With a groan, Daisuke opted to message Koushiro instead. Almost immediately the television came to life, and Koushiro's face appeared on the screen.

Koushiro spoke almost immediately. "You've got great timing, Daisuke-san."

"So I hear. Why's Ken coming over?" Daisuke asked. The answer that he received arrived completely unexpected.

"You should come by, too." Koushiro had said. "I need Ken here to confirm something." He had paused for a moment, and then continued, his voice largely conspicuous. "I think I've finally figured out exactly what Nat-chan really is."

* * *

Chapter Notes:  
- The convenience store the Inoue family owns is called the I-Mart, without a doubt short for Inoue Market.  
- The cave Daisuke finds V-mon in is where he first lifted the Digimental of Courage.  
- Entrance Exams are taken, as their name suggests, in order to pass the entrance requirement of the specific school hosting the exam. In Daisuke's case here, the school would be a university or college.


	5. Red Herrings

Date Started: May 16th, 2011  
Date Finished: May 18th, 2011

* * *

Summary: _A lone digimon known as Natsu feels herself drawn towards Daisuke. Daisuke sets out to find her missing human partner, but isn't prepared for the other mysteries that surround this very human-like digimon._

* * *

Almost Human

Chapter 5 – Red Herrings

_After Taichi-san and the other guests left the previous evening, Takeru took the time to show me some of his writings. Most of his unfinished manuscripts were not all that lengthy, the majority being mere cliff notes or bulleted points, but there was still plenty of written prose, and it was all based on his experiences as a Chosen Child. He wanted to help me understand the Chosen, who they were and what their responsibilities were._

_That was my first time learning something about Yamato-san. Takeru told me of an older brother who did everything he could to keep both Takeru and his friends safe from harm whilst trapped in the Digital World of their youth._

_He had then shown me one of his completed short stories. It was to be part of a published anthology as soon as several other works became ready as well. This story told the tale of two sidekicks that had gotten stranded on route to helping the hero in a losing battle against a terrifying evil. During their journey the two sidekicks discover the secret to bringing forth a majestic golden artifact. It is this golden artifact that then becomes the hero's key to victory._

_It was strange. The story felt almost nostalgic, familiar even. As if I had somehow experienced it myself._

_My curiosity now grows. Why is there such a strong feeling of familiarity when I recall Takeru's tale? Have I lived yet another, even earlier, life? One possibly before I had met Daisuke in that cold frozen world?_

* * *

Natsu sat on her bed, her elbows propped up on the windowsill, resting on her hands as she stared outwards, watching with interest the view of the deep blue night sky. She had missed the sunrise the previous morning, and had awoken early this day in order to not repeat the same mistake. She had felt quite empty these past few days, but now, seeing the sun slowly rising out of the horizon proved to be a grand euphoric feeling. It managed to fill her heart with warmth.

She had a fascinating sight before her. It was golden, that was the word for it. This was a rare, perfect dawn and it warmed her soul with a dazzling glow of joy. Much of the life she recalled was spent in a darkness, eagerly awaiting her rebirth, and now she desperately wanted to see this golden day before her.

The lustrous sun had finally fully risen, and Natsu rose from her seat, leaving the sight behind her and exiting the room. She passed completely by Takeru's door, paused at his mother's for a brief listen at the happenings inside, and continued towards the living room. She sat on the sofa, and turned on the television.

It wasn't too long before she heard a door creak open behind her, and she stood up and turned just in time for Takeru to exit and join her. "You're up early," he said, still in his pajamas and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Natsu merely nodded in reply. Her eyes traced after Takeru as he entered into the bathroom and let loose the running water. She patiently waited for him to finish, becoming nearly mesmerized by the brushstrokes as he brushed his teeth.

"Your mother creates fascinating sounds in her sleep," Natsu said.

The brushstrokes immediately stopped. Takeru glanced at her with a raised brow, the sound of the water becoming potent in the brief silence that followed. "Does she now?" Takeru finally settled on his choice of words, risking a glance towards his mother's room and giving a look that said he really didn't want to know.

"Indeed," Natsu answered without regard to his expression, "A fascinating sound with every breath."

"Oh, she was snoring?" he nearly smiled. "It would probably be best not to tell her that."

"Why is that?" Natsu wondered.

Any answer Takeru would have offered was cut short by a loud knock at their apartment door. "Hold that thought," he said, and moved to answer the door.

The door opened, and Natsu heard the words before she even saw the figure that had spoken them. "Are you insane?" the voice at the door yelled at Takeru. "Where is she?"

Natsu peeked to the side, hoping to get a better look. The figure she saw was a near replica of Takeru, a blond young man with a similar hair style. Albeit he was without a doubt several years the elder of the pair, it was the large scowl on his face that differentiated him from the younger. He had on a simple sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans, his clothing telling of the rather warm spring weather outside.

"Yamato, I thought we agreed to talk to them about this quietly," another voice spoke up. Her eyes trailed downwards from Yamato's scowl onto the voice of reason. The digimon stood beside him, his full height not even reaching up to Yamato's waist.

"Are you insane?" she heard Yamato repeat, more quietly this time, but the anger was still clear in his voice.

She heard Takeru sigh in reply, "Something troubling you, Niisan?"

"I'm going to kill Taichi when I see him," Yamato said. He stared down Takeru as he continued to speak, "And you, too. I can't believe the two of you agreed to let that _thing_ live here."

"If you're talking about Nat-chan," Takeru began coolly, "Perhaps you'd like to speak to her directly?"

He stepped aside, both revealing her to his brother and letting the pair of them inside. He motioned to both parties, standing in the middle as their in-between. "Nat-chan, this is Gabumon, and my older brother Yamato."

She fought against the urge to take a step back in worry, and managed a short bow in greeting, never letting her eyes off the older brother. She took in a breath, the silence following proving too much for her to handle. Finally she broke it, "Should I call you Niisan as well?

"Why are you here?" Yamato immediately ignored her and began his own barrage of questions, each one expressing his anger more so than the last. "Why are you bothering my family? Why are you bothering Daisuke? What's your purpose being in the human world? Why -"

"That's enough," Takeru cut in, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but Natsu is no threat. She gets along great with everyone, and even mom's taken a liking to her, so what's the problem?"

"Wake up, Takeru," Yamato said. "Mom thought you bought home a girlfriend. She wouldn't stop telling me about it until she finally found out the truth. And now she's just worried about what would happen if her attitude toward this dangerous beast suddenly changed."

Natsu's eyes went wide. "Is that… true?" she asked, turning to Takeru.

Takeru shook his head. "Of course not," he replied. He faced his brother, "And keep it down, both mom and Patamon are still asleep."

"Whatever," Yamato scoffed. His eyes traveled to Natsu. "I don't know what it is you've got planned, but I won't let you hurt anyone – especially not Daisuke, and especially not again."

Natsu frowned. "I have no intentions to bring harm upon Daisuke, or even anyone else for that matter."

Gabumon tugged at his partner's sleeve for his attention. ""She doesn't appear to be lying."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Yamato muttered. His glare didn't fade. "How convenient is it?" he asked. "That you have no memory of anything that happened in that previous world you trapped Daisuke in?"

"We don't know that she was the cause," Takeru stepped in to her defense. "We weren't there, and not even Daisuke or Mimi can know for sure."

"I didn't trap anyone!" Natsu insisted.

Yamato let out a short laugh. "It was only when you died that they were all released. Daisuke told us everything that happened. You wanted him to abandon the others to be with you."

Natsu felt a knot tie up in her throat. This was not something Mimi had mentioned when they had discussed Natsu's previous life. She looked away from Yamato in shame.

"I don't know how you seduced everyone," Yamato said, eyes narrowed. "But I see the real you, and I don't trust you one bit. You're nothing but a siren, yet another creature of the Dark Ocean made only in an attempt to soil Daisuke's traits."

"Niisan, that's enough already," Takeru frowned. "I'm sure she's not what you think she is."

Yamato ignored him, "But I'm going to warn you right now, that Daisuke will never abandon his friends no matter what you tempt him with and no matter how fragile he might appear. You're attempting a fool's errand."

The door from Natsuko's room pried open, and the older woman stepped out of her bedroom, still only dressed in a nightgown, arms stretching outwards and letting out a loud yawn. She turned to the foursome standing apart in pairs in the living room. She quirked a brow in their direction, "Oh, Yamato, you're here? What's all the commotion about?"

"We were just leaving," Yamato announced. He turned his back his mother and exited the apartment. Gabumon remained only a second longer to shrug apologetically before hurrying off after his partner.

Takeru sighed. "Nat-chan, are you alright?"

She didn't face him. "I want to throw up."

"Oh dear, it'll be alright," Natsuko pulled her in for a hug, softly patting her back. "I know my eldest knows to be rather rude at times, but he'll come around, alright?"

"He said some rather nasty things to her," Takeru frowned.

"And why did you let him?" his mother asked.

Takeru looked downcast. "Because it was him; if it was Hikari or Ken or even Sora-san with those exact same words, I wouldn't have been able to say anything to stop them either."

Natsuko mused for a moment, and then nodded. "I see," she looked down at Natsu, still in her arms, "Nat-chan, go to Yamato, will you?"

Natsu blinked upwards, "But why? He hates me."

"He doesn't understand you," Natsuko replied. "He has been through a rough experience, and somehow you remind him of it. But the more he'll get to know you, the less he will be able to relate that experience towards you. Do you understand, sweetie?"

"I think so," Natsu nodded. She carefully broke their embrace, and with one last encouraging smile from Natsuko, exited the apartment to look for Yamato.

* * *

_A difficult experience has befallen me. I've met someone who has exclaimed immediate dislike towards me. Takeru's older brother believes me to be a demon, a creature of a place he called the Dark Ocean. The denizens there are apparently digital creatures such as myself and are not fully digimon._

_Is this then what I truly am? Is this part of the past life I do not remember? Is this Dark Ocean the world I am to call home?_

_I find the thought terribly disgusting. I do not wish it to be so. The familiarity is not there, and above all I would never wish any harm to come to Daisuke, or anyone else that I've met thus far. They have all been wonderful people, and have made me feel welcome in their lives many times over._

_I feel that Yamato-san's words are accusatory. They are blasphemous and slanderous._

_He is wrong. He must be wrong. I refuse to accept that I am the evil he believes me to be._

* * *

Daisuke was in near disbelief. Koushiro had answers. The many questions he had regarding both Natsu and the frozen world he had met her in, they would all be answered. The code retrieved from her fingernail had all the clues, and Koushiro had solved the puzzle. His curiosity wouldn't allow him to wait any longer for the answers.

He gripped his digivice, hand outstretched towards the television that acted as the gateway between worlds. "We're going through," he announced to Koushiro, who appeared on the other end.

The redhead nodded, and Daisuke saw him backing away in the television screen. V-mon hopped in first, disappearing within the blink of an eye. Daisuke stepped forward, and he immediately frowned when he noticed the images on the screen of V-mon and Koushiro had frozen.

He glanced around, more irritated than worried or frightened. "You've been spying on me for quite some time now," his hands curled into fists, "Show yourself!" he demanded to the empty air.

There was rustling in the trees. Daisuke immediately turned to face it. "I'm not here to play games," he said.

The rustling appeared behind him this time. Daisuke spun around instantly, and nearly jumped backwards in surprise at the sight before him.

A middle-aged man, standing tall and covered in the traditional hooded robes of the Digital World's Order of Guardians, stood in front of him. The man stared down at the shorter Daisuke, his expression stoic and unrevealing.

The frown on Daisuke's face deepened. He matched his gaze to the new arrival. "Which one are you?" Daisuke finally asked.

"I'm Gennai," the man replied, "The original. And I think it's time the two of us had a nice little talk regarding your 'Natsu-san,' don't you agree, Daisuke-kun?"

There was a dead silence as Daisuke contemplated the words. He tried to shake away the surprise that this was once again about Natsu. He should have seen it coming. Perhaps Gennai would know what she was. Perhaps he would know why the Digital World rejected her. Daisuke wanted those answers.

"I'm listening," Daisuke said. "What can you tell me about her?"

"Your Natsu-san has become a digital fault," Gennai began. "Her code is carrying an irregularity."

Daisuke raised a brow. His questions piled one atop the other. "What does that mean? How do we fix her? What's wrong with her, exactly?"

"When digimon are created," Gennai continued, "They take on magnificent forms directly out of human imagination. The Digital World exists on a boundary between a purely digital and mystical plane of existence.

"Your Natsu-san," Gennai's stoic voice persisted, "Is a digital being whose form has stopped short of becoming magnificent. Her form has instead become that of a human."

"You're still not telling me what's wrong with her," Daisuke said. His eyes narrowed briefly. He suddenly wasn't very fond of where this discussion was going. If there was nothing clearly wrong, then there should be no digital fault to begin with.

Gennai let out a breath, his sigh the first emotion he had shown since he had begun speaking. "The Digital Gods, along with the Order, claim her to be infected. Viral, if you will. This virus is forcing her into a human form, hence the fault, and it has been decided that she is to cease to exist in order to prevent the spread of this virus."

Daisuke tried to laugh. "What is that? You're joking right?"

The grim face he received in response cut away any attempt at humor. "I assure you, this is no jest."

Daisuke's expression immediately fell. "You're the ones who sent that Tyrannomon."

His chest tightened when Gennai didn't deny the accusation. "Indeed. We were still unsure what your Natsu-san was at the time, but what was then meant to be a simple retrieval has by now turned into something much more fatal.

"There were other attempts, too, of course. The data chips are defensive weapons of the digital world, able to transcend the digital barrier. They seek out rogue digital elements to force a permanent deletion. It is rather curious that your Natsu-san managed to survive them.

"And when we witnessed the resistance you Chosen offered towards the attempts, it had been decided that the next one would come when resistance was not an available option."

The claw that had earlier reached into Daisuke's chest clenched directly over his heart as the realization came. His eyes widened involuntarily as he stated the obvious. "You're attacking now."

He turned back to the television, and made a sprint for the screen hoping for all he could that he would make it through, and hoping that Gennai was not still preventing his return to the human world. His digivice gripped tightly in his hands, the screen came to life in front of him, and he immediately vanished into it.

"Daisuke, what happened?" His eyes snapped open. He was lying on his back on the floor, the clear view of the ceiling above him. The faces of V-mon and Koushiro were looking down on him. He wasn't quite sure which one of them had spoken. His head was still spinning and his heart was rapidly pounding.

He sat straight up as soon as he recovered his bearings. He was in Koushiro's study. "I can't stay here," he said. "V-mon, we've gotta go to Takeru's right now. Nat-chan's in trouble."

Rising to his feet, he moved for the exit. He grabbed V-mon by the arm and half-dragged the confused digimon along with him.

"Wait a second," Koushiro interrupted. "What do you mean you have to leave? What happened back there? You dropped off the face of two worlds for a good ten minutes there."

Daisuke grunted, exiting the room and making for the main door. "Gennai decided to keep me around for some company. I'll explain later."

Right as he opened the doorway, Ken appeared on the other side with Wormmon on his shoulder. His knuckle was raised in the air in preparation to knock. He blinked in surprise at Daisuke's sudden appearance, but didn't have much time to react in any other way as Daisuke grabbed him with his other arm and started hauling both him and V-mon down the hallway.

Daisuke glanced back in time to see Ken tossing something to Koushiro with his free hand. He shrugged it off, not decreasing his pace. He spoke as Ken turned back around. "Nice timing there, I'm going to need your help."

* * *

It hadn't taken long for Natsu to catch up to Yamato and Gabumon. She found them at the base of the building, just exiting the front doors as she appeared from the stairwell. They had casually taken the elevator, whilst she had raced down to find them. Luckily she had made good time. She had walked up to them timidly, falling in pace just behind them without saying even a word.

It was Gabumon that noticed her first, and he alerted his partner to her presence.

Yamato stopped in his tracks. They were in the middle of the street on this early morning. He leaned back against the wall of a nearby building, his hands crossed over his chest as he stared her down. "Well, what is it? Why are you following me?"

"I…" she began, but didn't really know how to continue.

"I don't have all day," Yamato said. "I've got practice with my band soon. If you were looking to strike when my back was turned, you've missed your opportunity."

"I would never!" Natsu insisted.

"Maybe we should give her a chance," Gabumon suggested. "She doesn't seem like a threat."

"Not many digimon do," Yamato said. His eyes narrowed towards Natsu. "What is it you want?"

Natsu frowned. "What I wish is for you to stop being so cruel towards me. I have done nothing to antagonize you."

"Your very being here antagonizes me," Yamato countered. "Maybe I asked the wrong question. Here's another one: what is it you want in this world? Why exactly are you here?"

Natsu nearly recoiled at the question. She recalled on her first day in this world Daisuke asking similar questions of her. He wanted to know why she was here, and at the time she had no other answer for him save that she was here in this world simply because Daisuke was here as well. She had not needed nor wanted anything else at the time other than to remain near him. Yet here she was being asked the very same question, and very aware that Yamato would not be satisfied with her previous answer. Perhaps in the end that didn't matter, for during the days she had spent in this world, she had experienced much of both good and ill and now had a different answer to offer.

"Companionship," she voiced. Her answer came out in a near whisper, barely audible to even her own ears, but she was certain Yamato had heard it. "I may have come here for Daisuke, but I have found so much more."

Yamato blinked in confusion, having not expected such an answer. "What?"

"I've always felt so very alone," Natsu confessed. "Mimi-san told me about my past life in that other world. I was alone even there, but I have found so much here. There is much more here to experience. I want to have tea with Iori-kun again. I want to see more of the city with Daisuke. I want to go to the parks again with Takeru. I want to make omelets with Natsuko-san again," her eyes began to moisten. "I want to feel part of a family. I want to have friends. I want to see Koushiro-san, Jyou-san, and Mimi-san again. And I want to be your friend as well."

"I think I've heard enough," Yamato turned to leave. When he noticed his partner hadn't yet joined him, he paused and called out to him. "C'mon, Gabumon, we're going to be late if you don't hurry up."

"I believe you, Natsu-san," Gabumon told her before running off to catch up with his partner.

Natsu reached out with one arm, the other wiping away a tear from her eye. "Yamato-san, wait."

She only made it a step forward before a hand landed on her shoulder, holding her back. She gasped aloud, startled. She could see both Yamato and Gabumon had stopped up ahead, turning back to see what had caused her to cry out. She glanced back at the figure that held her. Her eyes widened at the angelic figure before her.

"Takeru didn't really think we would attack her, did he?" she could hear Yamato wondering out loud.

The Angemon's hand lowered from her shoulder, and gripped against her wrist. "By demand of the Order, you are to come with me."

"I don't think that's Patamon," Gabumon warned. The pair slowly made their way closer. From the local pedestrians, a small crowd seemed to be forming, observing the happenings.

"You there, Angemon," Yamato called out. "What business do you have with this girl?"

His grip tightened over her wrist, and she winced in pain. "This creature is to come with me."

"We can't let this happen," Gabumon urged his partner in hushed whispers.

"That girl is dangerous," Yamato said. "I wouldn't want to have her out of my sight."

"You are Chosen," the Angemon said. "You are more than welcome to accompany me back to the Order."

"Yamato-san, please help me," Natsu called out. She attempted to break away from the Angemon's hold, but her struggles proved useless as she was lifted airborne by the single hand the Angemon held her with. It hurt her, and his grip tightened further against her.

"I insist," Yamato maintained, nearly cringing at the sight before him. "I believe that she would be under better supervision here in the human world where the Chosen are all able to keep an eye on her."

The Angemon raised his staff with his free hand, pointing it threateningly at the pair. "I'm afraid you misunderstand," he declared. "You see, this is not a negotiation."

"Yamato," Gabumon called to his partner. "She is not Daisuke's cave. You do realize this, don't you?"

Yamato nodded to his partner. He reached down at his waist, grabbing hold at the digivice that clung to his belt. He called out to the Angemon, "I will not back down. The girl remains with us. Gabumon and I are more than prepared to fight over this."

"The Order will not stop until this one is dead."

"So be it," Yamato said, his digivice blaring to life and Gabumon immediately being engulfed in the brilliant radiance of evolutionary light.

The light proved blinding for even Natsu, but she couldn't dare to look away. From within the evolutionary pillar emerged a large canine creature that charged with full force at the Angemon. The canine collided into the Angemon and sent them both crashing into the pavement. The crowd immediately began to scatter, quickly noticing that the standoff had escalated with a violent force.

The charge forced the Angemon to release his hold, and Natsu quickly collapsed to the ground, having lost the feeling in her legs. She didn't even attempt to rise, instead using all her might to keep at bay the spasms and shudders that tempted to overwhelm her.

Yamato was suddenly near her, bending down and offering a hand to help her to her feet. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She considered briefly, "I am uninjured."

"That's good," Yamato said. "Because if that Angemon is anywhere near as strong as Patamon, I don't think Garurumon will be able to hold him off for long. We'll need to get out of here."

She took hold of the offered hand, and when Yamato pulled her up she was quickly back on her feet. "Thank you for helping me, Yamato-san."

He shrugged. "Either way I looked at it, you were the one that was the captive and I was the only one around able to help."

"Should we call for help instead, then?" Natsu offered.

"Just about every Chosen aside from Daisuke and Koushiro lives on this block. If they're far enough that they can't hear the commotion caused by the battle, my calling them won't bring them here before the fight is over."

As if on cue, a large explosion rocked the street as Garurumon collided with a parked vehicle and the Angemon shot holy attacks at him immediately after. From the wreckage Garurumon emerged, slightly singed but still well enough recovered.

"I see," Natsu said. She let go of his hand and turned away from him ever so slightly. "Where shall we go?"

Her motions didn't escape Yamato's notice. "You're afraid of me," he said.

"Perhaps, a little," Natsu acknowledged. "I did want you to be a friend. Perhaps also even a brother to me like you are to Takeru. I am disappointed to say you did not meet my expectations."

Yamato sighed. "I guess I owe you an apology. I looked at you and the first thing I saw was... well that's not important. What is important is that others saw differently, and I couldn't understand why," he looked to her then, meeting her gaze, "But I think I'm beginning to understand now."

"Yamato-san!" twin voices called out to him from above. He looked upwards in time to see Imperialdramon devolving and Daisuke and Ken landing beside him and Natsu, their descent slowed by XV-mon and Stingmon.

"We got here as fast as we could," Daisuke began, jumping off XV-mon. "And – whoa there–"

"Daisuke!" he was interrupted by Natsu, who immediately ran in to embrace him in a joyful reunion.

He tried to smile down at her, "Hey there, Nat-chan. It's good to see you again, too."

"I missed you, Daisuke."

He nodded to her, wrapping his arms around her in turn. He wanted to look back to Yamato and Ken, but the pair had already decided to resolve the battle on their own, leading XV-mon and Stingmon in to support Garurumon. Together the three digimon surrounded the Angemon, forcing him on the defensive.

"The Order will not stop!" the Angemon declared, furious at the circumstances. "You may have driven me back this time, but higher powers than you want that creature dead, and they will see to it that they get what they want." As his words ended, a rip opened within the empty space behind him. He stepped backwards into the portal, and both instantly vanished.

Natsu shivered in Daisuke's arms. "Please don't let them take me," she pleaded.

Daisuke was firm with his resolve. He nodded to her, "You'll be safe. I promise."

* * *

_It is 17 degrees Celsius. Wind is clocked at 9 km/h coming from the north. Humidity is 63%. Visibility is approximately 7.9 kilometers. Chance of precipitation is 30%._

_I do not understand what any of this means, but the man on the television that provided the above information exclaimed that it would be a 'great day.'_

_He is a filthy liar._

* * *

XV-mon and Stingmon landed to a crowd of spectators gawking at their flight near Koushiro's terrace. They let their partners off and following that had right away devolved. It had been a long morning for Daisuke, and he was eager to finally learn what Koushiro had found out. It was time to exchange notes and hopefully find out exactly why the Digital Gods and Gennai's Order were so interested in Natsu.

He found the entrance to Koushiro's apartment to be left unlocked, and both he and Ken helped themselves inside. Their partners followed right behind them.

Koushiro emerged from his study, having heard the door opening. He acknowledged both of them. "I take it Natsu-san is safe for now?"

"For now," Daisuke agreed.

"Have you finished with my crest yet, Koushiro-san?" Ken asked.

Daisuke's brows shot up in bewilderment. "Your crest?" he wondered aloud. "What was he doing with your crest?"

Koushiro motioned for them to follow. "It was a suspicion at first, but it's become pretty much fact now. Come inside, I'll show you what I've discovered."

They followed as Koushiro led them into his study. The digimon moved to join Tentomon as Koushiro sat at his desk and loaded several computer programs. "The last time you were here, Daisuke, I told you that I recognized Natsu's code. That I was certain I'd seen something similar before, but that I just couldn't quite place where that was."

"So you remembered where you'd seen it?" Daisuke asked.

"Yes," Koushiro answered. "The signature is very similar to the code I analyzed when I discovered Ken's old base couldn't sustain itself without its power source."

While Ken seemed to fidget, Daisuke prompted for more information. "Alright, and?"

"Well, for starters," Koushiro said, turning back to the computer monitor. He loaded up a file, "This is Natsu-san's code, as retrieved from her fingernail." He then brought up a second file. "And this is the code I just retrieved from Ken's Crest of Kindness."

Daisuke's brows ruffled. There was clearly no way he could understand the alphanumeric characters of the Digital World presented in front of him, but it didn't take a genius to notice the obvious.

"They're exactly the same," Ken observed. "Why is that? And more importantly, how is that possible?"

"Personally I wish I had another Crest to retrieve code from," Koushiro began, rubbing at his chin in thought. "But that's unfortunately impossible at this point. About the only thing we can conclude is that Natsu-san is the living embodiment of either a Crest in general, or the Crest of Kindness specifically."

"Koushiro," Daisuke hardened. "I hope you realize this hardly answers even one damn thing."

* * *

Chapter Notes:  
- The short story mentioned in Natsu's first monologue is Takeru's retelling of events that occurred on his end during the third movie, "Digimon Hurricane Touchdown / Supreme Evolution! The Golden Digimentals." These events are completely unknown to us, as Takeru and Hikari's story cuts off when their train stops, and they do not appear again until the climactic battle at the end of the movie.  
- Niisan: Japanese for "older brother," not quite as cutesy as "Oniichan"  
- Siren: Creatures of Greek Mythology that used their voice to seduce sailors, leading them to their deaths. Natsu's voice "seduced" Daisuke in the Drama CD, leading him directly into her isolated and distorted world.  
- The cave Gabumon refers to is the one that trapped Yamato and Sora during their first adventure at the time of the Dark Master's saga.  
- The Crest of Kindness was, and was not, the power source for the Kaiser's floating fortress.


End file.
